Kumejima

Kumejima lies west of Okinawa and preserves the remains of a distinct island political landscape. Uegusuku, a fortified seat on a summit about 310 metres high, commanded views across most of the island. Its walls used locally available slabs of andesite, with dressed coral limestone around part of the principal entrance. Excavated Chinese ceramics show that the island's chiefs participated in overseas exchange before incorporation into the royal government centered on Okinawa.

Tradition attributes the castle to Kume Nakagusuku Aji, a son of the lord of Chinaha. It fell during King Shō Shin's consolidation of Ryukyu, conventionally in 1510, although 1506 is also proposed. The precise construction date is unknown. Archaeology supplies another view of life within its walls: tea bowls, a tea jar and a grinding mill indicate the preparation and consumption of powdered tea, while a raised platform and adjoining court served ceremonial gatherings. These remains place Kumejima within the political and ritual world of the gusuku age, giving the island a history more specific than its later position between China, Ryukyu and Satsuma.