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Good news for anyone visiting Okinawa this November: Shuri Castle Park’s main hall reopens to the public on Monday November 23. A restoration completion ceremony will be held the day before, seven years after a fire destroyed the main hall and eight other buildings at the historic site.
Once the seat of the Ryukyu Kingdom, which ruled Okinawa from the 15th to the 19th centuries, Shuri Castle is known for its vivid vermilion hues and its blend of Chinese influences with Japanese shrine and temple architecture. The main hall was designated a national treasure in 1925, before being destroyed during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945. Rebuilt in 1992, it later became part of a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2000.
The latest restoration has brought craftspeople from across Japan to help rebuild the landmark. The main structure is made mostly from domestic cypress, alongside Okinawan woods such as Japanese yew and Okinawa evergreen oak. Taiwanese red cypress features in the carvings, while the roof tiles draw on local materials – including shamotte, made with crushed fragments of tiles salvaged from the main hall before the 2019 fire. Kume red clay and fine-grained sandstone from Okinawa have also been used for the colours and stone carvings.
From November 23, visitors can step inside the main hall for the first time since restoration began. Take a closer look at its newly rebuilt interior, from the intricate architectural details to the decorative touches that bring Ryukyu history to life.
For more information, visit the Shuri Castle Park website.
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