Seven years after fire, Okinawa’s Shuri Castle inches away from reopening

Naha, Okinawa Pref. – Final preparations are underway to reopen the main hall of Shuri Castle in Okinawa Prefecture next month, as Saturday marked the seventh anniversary of the fire that destroyed the landmark in the southwestern prefecture.

The restoration of the main hall was completed in September. Work is now ongoing to finalize interior decorations, install guide plates, and implement measures to improve fire prevention.

The restoration project began in November 2022, with the total costs estimated at some ¥12 billion. A state-hosted ceremony will celebrate the project’s completion on Nov. 22, and the main hall will be opened to the public the following day.

According to the Okinawa prefectural government, about ¥6.2 billion in donations had been received from within Japan and abroad by the end of September. These funds have been used to decorate the main hall’s interior and preserve traditional artisan techniques.

The fire broke out in the small hours of Oct. 31, 2019, destroying nine buildings, including the main hall, before being put out some 11 hours later.

A third-party committee set up by the prefectural government could not determine the cause of the fire, though noting that an electrical problem may have led to the disaster.

As a possible factor in the fire’s spread, the committee cited the large amount of wood used in the main hall and nearby buildings.

During the restoration project, the main hall was equipped with earth leakage circuit breakers, an automatic fire reporting system and sprinklers.

Recalling the fire, a man in his 50s who lives near Shuri Castle said: “I saw the blaze from my house. It was in the middle of the night. Everyone was in shock.”

“I’m looking forward to the reopening of the castle,” he said.