Shurijo

Ryukyuan gusuku castle
(Redirected from Shuri Castle)

Shurijo or Shuri Castle was the palace where the Ryukyu kings lived before Okinawa became part of Japan. Since it was built when Okinawa was independent, the castle structure is very different from other castles in Japan. Shuri Castle is located in Shuri. Shuri was once the Ryukyu capital, but it is now part of the present-day city of Naha.

Shuri Castle

Throughout its history, it had been destroyed and rebuilt four times, including during the Battle of Okinawa. This is why the courtyard is a little asymmetrical, or lop-sided. It was a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

On the morning of 31 October 2019, a large fire broke out at the main hall of the castle.[1][2] Seiden, Hokuden, Nanden and Bandokoro were completely destroyed.[3] According to news sources, "Six castle buildings occupying some 4,200 square meters in total were [destroyed]."[4][5] The fire was put out around 1:30 p.m.[6]

References

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  1. "Shuri Castle, a symbol of Okinawa, destroyed in fire". The Japan Times Online. 2019-10-31. ISSN 0447-5763. Archived from the original on 2019-10-31. Retrieved 2019-10-31.
  2. CNN, Tara John. "Fire breaks out in Japan's Shuri Castle". CNN. Retrieved 2019-10-31. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  3. "焼け落ちる正殿 未明に首里城で火災 消火活動続く". ANNnewsCH. 31 October 2019. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
  4. "Historic Okinawa castle gutted as predawn blaze rages". Mainichi Daily News. 2019-10-31. Archived from the original on 2019-10-31. Retrieved 2019-10-31.
  5. "Fire destroys Okinawa's Shuri Castle | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News". NHK WORLD. Archived from the original on 2019-10-31. Retrieved 2019-10-31.
  6. "首里城の火災鎮火". Jiji.com (in Japanese). Jiji. 31 October 2019. Archived from the original on 1 November 2019. Retrieved 31 October 2019.

26°13′1.31″N 127°43′10.11″E / 26.2170306°N 127.7194750°E / 26.2170306; 127.7194750