The main hall of Shuri Castle in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, which was destroyed in a fire in October 2019, has largely regained its iconic appearance after exterior reconstruction work came close to completion in July.
The vivid vermilion wooden palace, long regarded as a symbol of the island, is finally visible again as crews move on to interior painting and decorative work ahead of the hall＊s full completion, which is slated for autumn next year.
Since the blaze six years ago, donations have poured in 〞 including from street collections by students and contributions from Okinawan associations abroad 〞 to support the rebuilding of the former Ryukyu Kingdom＊s royal palace.
According to the prefectural government, donations for the restoration totaled about ?6.1 billion ($39.6 million) as of the end of September. The funds have been used to produce decorative elements for the main hall and to train artisans involved in traditional architecture.
Visitor numbers to Shuri Castle Park, which slumped after the fire and during the COVID-19 pandemic, are also recovering.
The prefecture has begun improving facilities to handle the rising demand. To ease congestion around the site, authorities have decided to introduce timed tickets purchasable online and are also developing a digital map to guide visitors to nearby districts where traditional streetscapes can still be seen.
Ahead of the sixth anniversary of the fire on Friday, Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki called the castle ※a symbol and presence inseparable from the history of Okinawa and the Ryukyu Kingdom.§
He added, ※I hope the entire surrounding area will become a place where people can experience Ryukyu culture and history.§
The fire broke out before dawn on Oct. 31, 2019, destroying the main hall as well as eight other structures, including the north and south halls. Reconstruction work on the main hall began in November 2022, and the large temporary shelter that protected the structure from the elements was removed this month.
The completion date for restoring the rest of the complex has yet to be determined.
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