I was shocked and saddened on October 31st to read an article in the Japan Times detailing the fiery destruction of Shuri Castle in Okinawa Prefecture. I visited this castle back in 2009 during my first (and only) visit to Okinawa.
Even the design of the castle walls and it's entrance were unique. The following is a picture of one of the gates into the castle compound. Note the stone lions at the gate and the black scaring on the stones (no doubt a result of the effects of WWII bombings).
Given that the castle has been rebuilt once already, it will surely rise from the ashes again. I do wonder though... Given that Okinawa is Japan's poorest prefecture, will the Japanese Government be motivated to put forth the funding required for such a large reconstruction project? One can only hope so. Hopefully the cause of the fire can be determined and such an incident can be avoided again both in Okinawa and in other parts of Japan.
Large parts of Shuri Castle, a symbol of Okinawa Prefecture and popular tourist attraction in the city of Naha, were destroyed in a fire early Thursday morning, authorities said. The cause of the blaze remains unknown. - The Japan Times
Shuri Castle was a reconstruction of the original castle that had been destroyed during the bombings of World War II. The reconstruction was only completed in 1992. It was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2000. Now most of it is just a pile of burned wood and ashes.
Most castles in Japan are reconstructions, either because they were completely destroyed during WWII or were leveled during the tumult of the Meiji Restoration when castles were destroyed in order to weaken the existing shogunate system of government. I have visited many of these castles and they are all great in their own ways, even though they are not the original structures.
Shuri Castle though was special. Given that it was the centre of what was once the Ryukyu Kingdom, it contained many special architectural differences from other castles in Japan. There was indeed a blending of traditional Japanese and Chinese architectural points given the Ryukyu Kingdom's role as a centre point between Japan and China.
The allegiance of this kingdom did tend to waver back and forth between Japan and China. This melding of design can be seen in the throne room of the castle in a picture that I took back in 2009. The intense red and gold design of the throne room definitely shows the Chinese influence.
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| Throne Room inside Shuri Castle in 2009 |
Even the design of the castle walls and it's entrance were unique. The following is a picture of one of the gates into the castle compound. Note the stone lions at the gate and the black scaring on the stones (no doubt a result of the effects of WWII bombings).
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| One of the entrances to Shuri Castle in 2009 |
Given that the castle has been rebuilt once already, it will surely rise from the ashes again. I do wonder though... Given that Okinawa is Japan's poorest prefecture, will the Japanese Government be motivated to put forth the funding required for such a large reconstruction project? One can only hope so. Hopefully the cause of the fire can be determined and such an incident can be avoided again both in Okinawa and in other parts of Japan.
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