Okinawa's Shuri Castle marks five years since devastating fire

The Usasuka Ryuchu throne carving on the second floor of Shuri Castle’s main hall features a unique twisted dragon design — a detail missing from prior reconstructions. | JIJI

Wires
October 31, 2024

Five years after a fire destroyed Shuri Castle’s main hall and eight of its other structures, Okinawa Prefecture’s historic site is nearing the final stages of reconstruction, with fire drills held Thursday to ensure readiness for potential future incidents.

In the early hours of Oct. 31, 2019, a fire broke out at Shuri Castle in Naha, devastating the iconic wooden hall and several other buildings. The cause remains undetermined.

On Thursday, exactly five years after the disaster, about 100 firefighters and security personnel from the Naha City Fire Department and the Cabinet Office participated in a 6 a.m. drill at the reconstruction site, rehearsing emergency protocols for an early morning fire.