Shuri Castle

Shuri Castle is different from other castles in Japan, and there is an explanation for this. In the 15th century, the Ryukyu Kingdom was located in these places, over time it lost its independence and came under Japanese rule, but there are also quite a lot of different Chinese manifestations here. In 2019, there was a major fire on the castle grounds, many buildings and objects were badly damaged. Part of the exhibition is closed; active restoration of the complex continues. The attraction is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Basic information

Already approaching the main entrance of Shuri Castle, the influence of two strong eastern cultures is felt. On the stele dedicated to King Sho Xi, the inscriptions are in two languages. The fortress walls look very impressive, in some places their height reaches 15 meters and width up to 3 meters. They were built from coral stone, simply stacked on top of each other at a slight angle.

Next, visitors pass through the main gate of Shuri Castle, the entrance is guarded by two lions - these are also Chinese symbols. The welcome signs above the entrance are made in Chinese characters. In the main courtyard you can see an ancient sundial and a replica of an ancient bell. A little further away there are majestic gates covered with red varnish. In those days, this process was very complicated and took a lot of time. Therefore, such gates made a strong impression on the guests of the castle.

Features of Shuri Castle

The main gate is painted red. During the kingdom, only high-ranking officials, honored guests and the king himself could pass through them. Next is the administrative part of the castle, where various important meetings used to take place. The entire territory of the complex is divided into 3 main parts; in addition to the administrative part, there is also a ritual and residential part. The king and his family, and later the Japanese governor, lived in the residential area. In the ritual part, people performed numerous religious rituals.

On the administrative part of Shuri Castle there is the main square, it is paved with tiles, along it, like a red carpet, the owners escorted the guests of honor to the main building. It is also painted in a solemn red color, and its roof is decorated with many lacquered elements.

Today, visiting the castle and examining its interiors is available to everyone. It is very interesting to see how the bright and festive elements of Chinese culture are combined with traditional Japanese minimalism. The Shuri Castle Museum displays a variety of artifacts from the two great countries. You can see numerous paintings and figurines of lions and dragons and a variety of models, weapons and clothing of both warriors and nobles. The display case displays a throne and crown, replicas from the era of the Ryukyu Kingdom.