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The ''Unâ'' (御庭) is a square, open plaza, bounded by the Hôshinmon on one side, the Seiden, the chief royal residence, facing it, and the Hokuden and Nanden on the remaining two sides. The plaza itself was the site of many important rituals and ceremonies, including New Year's ceremonies, and the formal investiture of each king, for which a symbolic model of the Chinese Imperial Court throne room would be constructed on the plaza. Red and white tiles form ranks (''sen'', 磚) filling the plaza and marking where officials and aristocrats of various ranks would stand for these ceremonies; a raised path cutting through the plaza and leading directly across the plaza from the Hôshinmon to the Seiden was called the ''ukimichi'' (浮道, lit. "floating path") in Japanese, and was used only by the king, representatives of the Chinese Emperor, and others of similar rank<ref>"Shisetsu annai: Unâ." Shuri Castle Park Official Website.</ref>. Originally raised some 15 cm above the plaza (hence the name "floating path"), the reconstructed ''ukimichi'' today is raised by only five cm.<ref>''Ukimichi no nazo'' 浮道のなぞ, ''Fee nu kaji'' 南ぬ風 36 (2015), 9.</ref> Overall, the plaza, and buildings within it, were conceived as a miniature of the Forbidden City (the Imperial Palace) in Beijing<ref name=Turnbull44/>.

The ''Unâ'' (御庭) is a square, open plaza, bounded by the Hôshinmon on one side, the Seiden, the chief royal residence, facing it, and the Hokuden and Nanden on the remaining two sides. The plaza itself was the site of many important rituals and ceremonies, including New Year's ceremonies, and the formal investiture of each king, for which a symbolic model of the Chinese Imperial Court throne room would be constructed on the plaza. Red and white tiles form ranks (''sen'', 磚) filling the plaza and marking where officials and aristocrats of various ranks would stand for these ceremonies; a raised path cutting through the plaza and leading directly across the plaza from the Hôshinmon to the Seiden was called the ''ukimichi'' (浮道, lit. "floating path") in Japanese, and was used only by the king, representatives of the Chinese Emperor, and others of similar rank<ref>"Shisetsu annai: Unâ." Shuri Castle Park Official Website.</ref>. Originally raised some 15 cm above the plaza (hence the name "floating path"), the reconstructed ''ukimichi'' today is raised by only five cm.<ref>''Ukimichi no nazo'' 浮道のなぞ, ''Fee nu kaji'' 南ぬ風 36 (2015), 9.</ref> Overall, the plaza, and buildings within it, were conceived as a miniature of the Forbidden City (the Imperial Palace) in Beijing<ref name=Turnbull44/>.

The two-story Nanden (南殿), or "South Hall," on one size of the plaza, is known as the ''Fee-nu-udun'' (南風御殿) in Okinawan. It is a Japanese-style structure which housed Satsuma officials and Japanese-style ceremonies. The one-story Bandokoro (番所) attached to it was used by Ryukyuan officials departing for the day to pass off paperwork or duties to those arriving. Records indicate that the Nanden was first built c. [[1628]], though archaeological excavations have discovered earlier foundations. There do not appear to be any records of it ever having been painted and so, in accordance with one school of Japanese traditional architectural customs, it remains composed primarily of bare wood. The two buildings today include exhibition spaces, where artifacts related to the castle and the royal family are put on display<ref>"Shisetsu annai: Nanden / Bandokoro." Shuri Castle Park Official Website.</ref>. Attached to the eastern end of the Nanden was a space known as the Kinjûtsumesho (近習詰所), where about twenty officials and scribed attached to the king were based; a number of them typically accompanied the king as he moved through the castle on daily business.<ref name=plaques/> Beyond this space was a small inner writing studio, or ''okushoin'' (奥書院). Three by three and a half bays (''ma'') in size, it was used by the king as a place to take a break from his duties, and also contained a space where the ''okushoin'' magistrate (''okushoin [[bujo|bujô]]'') worked. The ''okushoin'' faced a garden to the south, and the Kawarume utaki (苅銘御嶽) to the east.<ref name=plaques/>

The two-story Nanden (南殿), or "South Hall," on one size of the plaza, is known as the ''Fee-nu-udun'' (南風御殿) in Okinawan. A Japanese-style structure, it was regularly used for receiving Satsuma officials and for other Japanese-style ceremonies. The one-story Bandokoro (番所) attached to it was used by Ryukyuan officials departing for the day to pass off paperwork or duties to those arriving. Records indicate that the Nanden was first built c. [[1628]], though archaeological excavations have discovered earlier foundations. There do not appear to be any records of it ever having been painted and so, in accordance with one school of Japanese traditional architectural customs, it remains composed primarily of bare wood. The two buildings today include exhibition spaces, where artifacts related to the castle and the royal family are put on display<ref>"Shisetsu annai: Nanden / Bandokoro." Shuri Castle Park Official Website.</ref>. Attached to the eastern end of the Nanden was a space known as the Kinjûtsumesho (近習詰所), where about twenty officials and scribed attached to the king were based; a number of them typically accompanied the king as he moved through the castle on daily business.<ref name=plaques/> Beyond this space was a small inner writing studio, or ''okushoin'' (奥書院). Three by three and a half bays (''ma'') in size, it was used by the king as a place to take a break from his duties, and also contained a space where the ''okushoin'' magistrate (''okushoin [[bujo|bujô]]'') worked. The ''okushoin'' faced a garden to the south, and the Kawarume utaki (苅銘御嶽) to the east.<ref name=plaques/>

The Hokuden (北殿), or "North Hall," also known as the ''giseiden'' (議政殿), faces the Nanden across the plaza, and is known as the ''Nishi-no-udun'' (北之御殿) in Okinawan. Built around 1506-1521, it is a structure more Chinese in style, which housed visiting Chinese officials and Chinese-style ceremonies and, as the site of the chief administrative offices of the royal government, was on an average day the busiest and most active building in the compound. Commodore Perry was also entertained and banqueted here on two occasions when he forced his way into the castle. Like the Nanden, the Hokuden today contains exhibition space devoted to material related to the castle, the royal family, and the kingdom's relationship with China<ref>"Shisetsu annai: Hokuden." Shuri Castle Park Official Website.</ref>.

The Hokuden (北殿), or "North Hall," also known as the ''giseiden'' (議政殿), faces the Nanden across the plaza, and is known as the ''Nishi-no-udun'' (北之御殿) in Okinawan. Built around 1506-1521, it is a structure more Chinese in style, which housed visiting Chinese officials and Chinese-style ceremonies and, as the site of the chief administrative offices of the royal government, was on an average day the busiest and most active building in the compound. Commodore Perry was also entertained and banqueted here on two occasions when he forced his way into the castle. Like the Nanden, the Hokuden today contains exhibition space devoted to material related to the castle, the royal family, and the kingdom's relationship with China<ref>"Shisetsu annai: Hokuden." Shuri Castle Park Official Website.</ref>.

A pair of buildings to the south of the Nanden, on the opposite side of that hall from the central plaza, served as administrative buildings and spaces for meeting with and entertaining Chinese investiture envoys and officials from Satsuma. The ''shoin'' or "study", and ''kusari-no-ma'', as they would have been called in Japanese, were also used by the kings as their chief study or office, and secondarily by royal princes.<ref>"Shisetsu annai: shoin / kusari no ma." Shuri Castle Park Official Website.; plaques on-site in Shuri castle.</ref>. The room was also used for entertaining Chinese envoys. The ''shoin'' appears in the [[1713]] ''[[Ryukyu-koku yuraiki|Ryûkyû-koku yuraiki]]'', but it is unclear how much earlier before that it might have been built. Connected to the Nanden by internal corridors, it contained the ''sasu-no-ma'', the office of the royal scribe or clerk (''[[yuhitsu|yûhitsu]]''<!--右筆-->), who was responsible for producing formal court documents, including those sent to the Emperor of China or the Japanese shogun. The ''sasu-no-ma'' was also used by the Crown Prince as a tearoom for receiving guests. The ''shoin'', which has today been reconstructed alongside the Nanden and other structures, also served sometimes as a waiting room or reception room for Chinese investiture envoys.<ref>Gallery labels, Okinawa Prefectural Museum, August 2013.</ref>

A pair of buildings to the south of the Nanden, on the opposite side of that hall from the central plaza, served as administrative buildings and spaces for meeting with and entertaining Chinese investiture envoys and officials from Satsuma. The ''shoin'' or "study", and ''kusari-no-ma'', as they would have been called in Japanese, were also used by the kings and royal princes, respectively, as their chief study or office.<ref>"Shisetsu annai: shoin / kusari no ma." Shuri Castle Park Official Website.; plaques on-site in Shuri castle.</ref><ref name=coral2020>「よみがえれ、首里城」、''Coralway'', Nov/Dec 2020, 16.</ref>. The room was also used for entertaining Chinese envoys. The ''shoin'' appears in the [[1713]] ''[[Ryukyu-koku yuraiki|Ryûkyû-koku yuraiki]]'', but it is unclear how much earlier before that it might have been built. Connected to the Nanden by internal corridors, it contained the ''sasu-no-ma'', the office of the royal scribe or clerk (''[[yuhitsu|yûhitsu]]''<!--右筆-->), who was responsible for producing formal court documents, including those sent to the Emperor of China or the Japanese shogun. The ''sasu-no-ma'' was also used by the Crown Prince as a tearoom for receiving guests. The ''shoin'', which has today been reconstructed alongside the Nanden and other structures, also served sometimes as a waiting room or reception room for Chinese investiture envoys.<ref>Gallery labels, Okinawa Prefectural Museum, August 2013.</ref>

====Seiden====

====Seiden====