# 674 Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu,Japan.

Five hundred years of Ryukyuan history (12th-17th century) are represented by this group of sites and monuments. The ruins of the castles, on imposing elevated sites, are evidence for the social structure over much of that period, while the sacred sites provide mute testimony to the rare survival of an ancient form of religion into the modern age. The wide- ranging economic and cultural contacts of the Ryukyu Islands over that period gave rise to a unique culture.
Shuri Castle Okinawa-For 450 years from 1429, it was the royal court and administrative center of the Ryukyu Kingdom. It was the focal point of foreign trade, as well as the political, economic, and cultural heart of the Ryukyu Islands.
Japan
Okinawa Prefecture
Date of Inscription: 2000
Ref: 972  Source-(wikipedia)-(Unesco.Org)
Thank you Siena for the beautiful Gotochi card representing  a UNESCO heritage site of Japan.

2018 Stamp- International Letter Writing Week

Could not find year of issue of 82 yen stamp

Thank you Jenny for the beautiful card on Nakijin Castle Ruins which is part of 9 Gusuku sites inscribed by Unesco.