Should the essence of the Gusuku be regarded as a sacred precinct or as a village? There are many common points between each of them, but at the same time they each have different and diverse facets.
Even for the same Gusuku, there are many research survey results that are difficult to reconcile. Because of this there are many enigmas that remain to be solved by modern research. These enigmas have remained in the history of the Ryukyus since the Gusuku were first constructed in the 12th century, referred to as the "Gusuku Period."
A great many of them were destroyed in power struggles between Aji warlords. The Gusuku that became the bases for the strong Aji were large in scale, expanded in capabilities and so have remained. For example, those registered as World Heritage Sites, such as Nakijin, Zakimi, Katsuren and Nakagusuku, were commanded by able lords who left their names in history. These sites were fortified long ago.
However, before long even the Gusuku ran by such powerful lords completed their roles as is woven in the vicissitudes of the drama that is history. The name that crowns that of all Gusuku is the last, Shuri Gusuku, nowadays known as Shuri Castle. From the birth of the Ryukyu Kingdom to its dissolution in 1879, Shuri Gusuku was the only one so long-lived as the stage for the ups and downs of the monarchy. The history of the prosperity and collapse of the Ryukyu royal court, which is summed up by Shuri Gusuku, can be called that of the Ryukyus itself, a unique history created in therein. When it was all finished, it was left to us, these still enigmatic Gusuku, and the historical legacies are a voice speaking to us from ancient times, a voice we can perhaps hear.