| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Okinawa Prefecture, Japan |
| Criteria | Cultural: (ii), (iii), (vi) |
| Reference | 972 |
| Inscription | 2000 (24th Session) |
| Area | 54.9 ha (136 acres) |
| Buffer zone | 559.7 ha (1,383 acres) |
| Coordinates | 26°12′31″N 127°40′58″E / 26.20861°N 127.68278°E |
  Location of Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu in Ryukyu Islands | |
The Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu (琉球王国のグスク及び関連遺産群, Ryūkyū ōkoku no gusuku oyobi kanren'isangun) is an UNESCO World Heritage Site which consists of nine sites all located in the Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The heritage sites include two utaki (or sacred sites, one a gate and the other a grove), the Tamaudun mausoleum, one garden, and five gusuku castles sites, four of which are ruins and one of which is a reconstruction. The sites were inscribed based on the criteria that they were a fine representation of the Ryūkyū Kingdom's culture, whose unique blend of Japanese and Chinese influence made it a crucial economic and cultural junction between several neighboring states.[1][2]
- ^ "Advisory Body Evaluation" (pdf). 25 June 1999. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
- ^ "Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu — World Heritage List Nomination Cultural Property". Agency for Cultural Affairs. 2000. Retrieved 2009-08-01.