ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Gusuku period

Hey kiddo! Do you know what a castle is? It's a big, strong building where kings and queens used to live a long, long time ago.

Well, a gusuku is like a castle, but it's from a special time and place called the Gusuku Period in history. This period lasted from around the 12th century to the 15th century in the Ryukyu Islands of Japan.

During this time, people built lots of gusukus all over the Ryukyu Islands. They were made of big rocks and were very strong, just like castles. But instead of kings and queens living in them, important people called chiefs and their families lived there.

These chiefs were responsible for ruling the island and making sure everyone was safe and happy. They needed strong places to live because sometimes other people from different islands or even pirates would come and try to attack them.

The gusuku buildings were also used for special ceremonies and events. People would dress up in special clothes and dance and sing together. It was a very important time for the people of the Ryukyu Islands.

So the Gusuku Period was a special time in history when people built strong, castle-like buildings called gusukus. These buildings were used by important chiefs to rule the island and held special events and ceremonies.