Shurijo Castle

Historical place. Restoring the castle that was burned down years ago. Not much to see but at least you are contributing the construction and tourism fee to it. Well, can take a nice view on the top. You need to stop by their tea house here which serve ryukyu kingdom confectioneries and tea. Good rest stop i guess.

A beautiful castle with astonishing architecture. However the main attraction is still under construction after the devastating fire in 2019, so you'll mainly see the construction building and the current progress within. The view was also nice to see Naha, but all in all you should go here when the construction is finished from my point of view

My partner is deeply interested in the history of Japan and thus, we absolutely had to drop by Shurijo Castle as it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Shurijo Castle served as the political and cultural heart of the Ryukyu Kingdom for centuries. Its unique blend of Japanese, Chinese, and Southeast Asian architectural styles reflects Okinawa's historical role as a cultural hub. As the Castle was recently destroyed by a fire in 2019, the main portion of the Castle was still undergoing reconstruction. Fret not as the reconstruction process can be viewed by the public and the team even provided educational panels on the reconstruction process, including the materials used, process taken and even pieces from before the Castle was burned down in 2019. We were extremely impressed with the professionalism and dedication the team had in rebuilding the Castle, demonstrating an inspiring testament to the resilience of preserving the Okinawan Culture Apart from the main Castle, the Castle grounds are still open for public touring. We walked the ground and made it all the way up to see the whole of Okinawa, just as the King did in the past. We were also able to see other areas of the old palace, including the garden, rest house and bath area. At the end of the tour, there is a nice restaurant serving traditional Okinawan food and a small gift shop, a nice and refreshing rest stop after dealing with the Okinawan heat! Do note that the Castle is situated on a very high point of Okinawa, which means that the tour would be largely uphill before heading back downhill when you complete the tour. This may not be friendly towards the elderly.

Informative details with regards to restore of the castle. A lot of efforts had been put in to make this old castle attraction interesting to the visitors and tourists. Be prepared to spend at least 1hr to visit this place. Its well maintained and organised. We were impressed with the dedication of the craftsmen and workers into making the restoration a success.

The one of Japan’s World culture heritage The Japanese government is very smart. They have thought it through very well. I like their story. The origin is mentioned in detail. If you like culture, beautiful views, and detailed construction, I recommend you to come and see it. But you have to come twice because in 2024 it is still not fully restored. See you in 2026. I will come back. P.S. ¥400 per person. at this moment2024 Meaculpa ;)