When I looked on my phone, I saw a link was sent to me, so I opened it. I was in shock, because Shuri Castle was caught on fire! Shuri Castle was a 500 years old symbol of Okinawa and its rich history, before it was taken over by the Japanese Prefecture before World War II. It symbolized its traditions and culture when it was part of the Ryukyu Kingdom, their king was kidnapped and then the Japanese Prefecture (from mainland Japan) took over the island. As I read the article, I saw that it said “Shuri Castle was not fully destroyed, but the majority of it was.” The fire started at 1:30 am and approximately one hundred firefighters were at the scene. Along with a quote that can describe all of us in two words, “god-like,” as one of the locals, Tokoyo Miyazato mentioned. Although Shuri Castle has been burned down and rebuilt several times, especially in World War II during the Battle of Okinawa, it will not stop from being rebuilt again. It was one of the most popular tourist attractions when people visited Okinawa, due to its rich culture and it has been burned down three times during the Ryukyu Dynasty. Along with in 2020 it was supposed to be one of the torches stops for the 2020 Tokoyo Olympics.
Before the Fire:
After the Fire:
The burning of Shuri Castle had affected me because I used to go there as a kid when I lived in Okinawa. My first time visiting the castle, I was amazed by the entire structure, colors, and artifacts inside the castle. They kept the castle to its original colors, during the tour they always talked about why the colors were significant. Old artifacts from the beginnings of the Ryukyu Kingdom to World War II were shown in glass boxes, traditional ceremonies took place in the castle, and it was why Okinawa became one of my favorite places to study history. I have used Okinawa as many topics for projects and papers from its historic landmarks to the culture. When you visited, there were different buildings, gardens, and traditions to explore. There was a traditional tea ceremony you could experience, where they would serve the tradition tea with shortbread and other cookies. They had stamps that you could put in a paper passport and collect as you went through everything. Many weddings and traditional ceremonies would also take place in the middle of the castle. The gardens would be full of statues, flowers, a waterfall, bridges, and gazebos. It was mesmerizing, I know they are going to be rebuilding it and it may take a year, but Shuri Castle will always be close to my heart. My condolences go to the people of Okinawa and everything it meant to the country.
Link to News Article: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-50244169