Okinawa’s Shuri Castle reopens November 23 after 2019 fire
In the early morning of October 31, 2019, a fire destroyed much of Shuri Castle, including its main hall and several surrounding buildings. The castle served as the seat of the Ryukyu Kingdom for several centuries and is one of Okinawafs leading tourist attractions. It was largely destroyed during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945, before its main buildings were gradually reconstructed from the 1990s.
The 2019 fire was a major loss, but reconstruction efforts began soon afterwards. The interior of the rebuilt main hall is scheduled to open to the public on November 23, 2026. Ahead of the reopening, I visited the castle grounds, most of which have remained open to tourists during the reconstruction.
Most of the scaffolding surrounding the main hall was removed in late 2025, making the reconstructed building visible again. Work is still underway, however, and the courtyard in front of the hall remains closed and has yet to be restored.
Only the foundations currently remain of the buildings that flanked the main hall and were also destroyed in the fire. Reconstruction of these halls and several other lost buildings is planned to follow, although no specific schedules have been announced yet.
The central area of the castle requires an admission fee, but several free areas are also worth exploring, including a number of utaki, or sacred sites. One of the highlights is Kyo-no-uchi, a large sacred area that once contained several utaki. Today, it features a small but attractive network of walking paths through lush, almost jungle-like vegetation, leading to two observation points with views over Naha.
