Shuri Castle

Shuri Castle (Japanese: 首里城, Hepburn: Shuri-jō; Okinawan: Sui Gusuku) is a Ryukyuan gusuku castle in the historic Shuri district of Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Between 1429 and 1879, it was the palace of the Ryukyu Kingdom, before becoming largely neglected. In 1945, during the Battle of Okinawa, it was almost completely destroyed. The site of Shuri Castle has been protected by the central government as a National Historic Site since 1972.

After the war, the castle was re-purposed as a university campus. Beginning in 1992, the central citadel and walls were largely reconstructed on the original site based on historical records, photographs, and memory. In 2000, Shuri Castle was designated as a World Heritage Site, as a part of the Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu. The Shoen and Sasu-no-ma Gardens (鎖之間庭園) were designated a National Place of Scenic Beauty in 2009.

On the morning of 31 October 2019, the main courtyard structures of the castle were again destroyed in a fire. Reconstruction is ongoing and is expected to be fully completed by the autumn of 2026, with a completion ceremony scheduled for November 22nd.

Text adapted from “Shuri Castle” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Shuri Castle ranks #99 of 7,738 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #6 of the 297 mapped in Japan. Founded 1400, it is older than 52% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 582 atlas entries founded in the 14th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 34,297 times in the last 60 days, more than 99% of the atlas. 6 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. See how Japan compares in the castle statistics.

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