Paper short abstract:

This paper looks at the role of nature, sacrality and cultural identity in heritage production. It explores the consequences of Seifa Utaki's transformation from one of the Ryukyu Kingdom's sacred centres into a World Heritage Site, popular tourist destination and 'biodiversity hotspot'.

Paper long abstract:

Located in the southeastern corner of Okinawa, Seifa Utaki is one of the island's best-known and largest sacred groves. It played a central role in the ritual-mythological system of the Ryukyu Kingdom (1429-1879), when priestesses associated with the monarchy used it for ritual ceremonies. In 2000, the grove was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, together with several related historical sites (collectively referred to as 'Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu'). In recent years, it has become a popular tourist site, attracting a steady flow of visitors. The meanings attributed to Seifa Utaki are manifold. Although the heritagisation of the grove has gone together with a decline in worship traditions, many visitors today do appear to appreciate the 'sacred' character of the place, engaging in individual prayer and newly invented pilgrimage practices. Others appreciate the grove because of its value as a biodiversity hotspot, or because of its historical and archaeological importance. In this paper, I will analyse these different meanings. I will explore the ecological, political and socio-cultural consequences of Seifa Utaki's transformation from an Okinawan sacred centre, closely intertwined with royal authority, into a World Heritage Site of ecological and historical significance, supposedly representative for 'ancient Japanese' nature worship traditions. I will then relate my findings to wider debates about the role of religion in nature preservation, the tension between conservation ideals and real-life practices, and the significance of heritage production for the construction of local and national identities today.