Changes

This was a long process, however. The Shureimon gate was the first portion of the castle to be restored, in 1958. Ten years later, in 1968-69, the main gate at the nearby [[Engaku-ji]] temple, along with the Benten-dô (Benten Hall) and Tennyo-bashi (Tennyo Bridge) at the [[Ryutan|Ryûtan Pond]] were restored. The Ryukyu Government<ref>The civilian government of Okinawan elected representatives governing alongside the US military government during the Occupation.</ref> decided upon a plan in 1970 to restore the castle and various cultural assets (artifacts) lost in the war. The same year, the national government of Japan reached a cabinet decision regarding the reversion of Okinawa to Japanese authority (i.e. the end of the Occupation), and made clear its support for the restoration of the castle and cultural assets. The following year, funds were explicitly set aside for the restoration project within the budget of the Ministry of State for Okinawa and the [[Northern Territories]]. In 1972, the US Occupation ended and Japanese administration of Okinawa prefecture was resumed; an official Okinawa Promotion and Development Plan that year explicitly included discussion of a plan to restore the castle and associated cultural assets. Work then began on restoring other portions of the castle compound and surrounding areas, with the Kankaimon being restored over a two-year process from 1972-74 and the royal mausoleum at [[Tamaudun]] in 1973-76. An "Association for Realizing the Restoration of Shuri Castle" (''Shurijô fukugen kisei kai'') was established in 1973, and work began on the castle's Kyûkeimon gate in 1976. The Second Okinawa Promotion and Development Plan, put out in 1982, explicitly discussed matters including determining the extent of the grounds that should be made a public park, and the areas that should be made areas for historical and cultural preservation.<ref name=shimpo1992>"Shurijô fukugen no keii" 首里城復元の経緯, ''Ryukyu Shimpo'', 1 Nov 1992.</ref>

This was a long process, however. The Shureimon gate was the first portion of the castle to be restored, in 1958. Ten years later, in 1968-69, the main gate at the nearby [[Engaku-ji]] temple, along with the Benten-dô (Benten Hall) and Tennyo-bashi (Tennyo Bridge) at the [[Ryutan|Ryûtan Pond]] were restored. The Ryukyu Government<ref>The civilian government of Okinawan elected representatives governing alongside the US military government during the Occupation.</ref> decided upon a plan in 1970 to restore the castle and various cultural assets (artifacts) lost in the war. The same year, the national government of Japan reached a cabinet decision regarding the reversion of Okinawa to Japanese authority (i.e. the end of the Occupation), and made clear its support for the restoration of the castle and cultural assets. The following year, funds were explicitly set aside for the restoration project within the budget of the Ministry of State for Okinawa and the [[Northern Territories]]. In 1972, the US Occupation ended and Japanese administration of Okinawa prefecture was resumed; an official Okinawa Promotion and Development Plan that year explicitly included discussion of a plan to restore the castle and associated cultural assets. Work then began on restoring other portions of the castle compound and surrounding areas, with the Kankaimon being restored over a two-year process from 1972-74 and the royal mausoleum at [[Tamaudun]] in 1973-76. An "Association for Realizing the Restoration of Shuri Castle" (''Shurijô fukugen kisei kai'') was established in 1973, and work began on the castle's Kyûkeimon gate in 1976. The Second Okinawa Promotion and Development Plan, put out in 1982, explicitly discussed matters including determining the extent of the grounds that should be made a public park, and the areas that should be made areas for historical and cultural preservation.<ref name=shimpo1992>"Shurijô fukugen no keii" 首里城復元の経緯, ''Ryukyu Shimpo'', 1 Nov 1992.</ref>

Reconstruction work on the Seiden and other central buildings began in earnest on July 18, 1989, with a groundbreaking ceremony (''kikôshiki'') and lumber-felling ceremony (''kobiki-shiki'') being held on November 2-3, 1989. While symbolic lumber was ceremonially carried down to Shuri from [[Kunigami]] as had been done in previous centuries, the restoration was completed primarily using wood from outside of Okinawa prefecture. [[Cypress]] from Taiwan was used for much of the central palace structures, including for the largest upright pillars, and woods such as oak<ref>''Quercus salicina'', J: ''Urajirogashi''</ref> and podocarpus (J: ''inumaki'') from [[Amami Islands|Amami]] and [[Tokunoshima]] were also used, along with materials from elsewhere. Okinawan architects, carpenters, and craftsmen headed the various aspects of the project, aided by ''[[miyadaiku]]'' (experts in traditional Japanese architecture & carpentry) and craftsmen from mainland Japan.<ref>"Shurjiô Q&A," "Shurijô o tsukutta takumi," ''Ryukyu Shimpo'', Nov 1, 1992.</ref> After three years of construction, sections of Shuri Castle Park opened to the public on November 3, 1992.<ref name=shimpo1992/>

Reconstruction work on the Seiden and other central buildings began in earnest on July 18, 1989, with a groundbreaking ceremony (''kikôshiki'') and lumber-felling ceremony (''kobiki-shiki'') being held on November 2-3, 1989. While symbolic lumber was ceremonially carried down to Shuri from [[Kunigami]] as had been done in previous centuries, the restoration was completed primarily using wood from outside of Okinawa prefecture. [[Cypress]] from Taiwan was used for much of the central palace structures, including for the largest upright pillars, and woods such as oak<ref>''Quercus salicina'', J: ''Urajirogashi''</ref> and podocarpus (J: ''inumaki'') from [[Amami Islands|Amami]] and [[Tokunoshima]] were also used, along with materials from elsewhere. Okinawan architects, carpenters, and craftsmen headed the various aspects of the project, aided by ''[[miyadaiku]]'' (experts in traditional Japanese architecture & carpentry) and craftsmen from mainland Japan.<ref>"Shurjiô Q&A," "Shurijô o tsukutta takumi," ''Ryukyu Shimpo'', Nov 1, 1992.</ref> After three years of construction, sections of Shuri Castle Park opened to the public on November 3, 1992.<ref name=shimpo1992/> Some 46,000 people visited the castle on that first day.<ref>"Hôdô shashin shû Shurijô" 報道写真集・首里城, 30.</ref>

The grounds beneath and around the reconstructed castle were named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000, and the reconstructed castle became the site of regular reenactments of royal court ceremonies and numerous other cultural performances, as well as regularly-cycling temporary exhibits of artworks and other treasures related to the kingdom. The castle quickly became the most-visited tourist site on Okinawa Island, boasting some three million visitors a year.<ref>"Hôdô shashin shû Shurijô" 報道写真集・首里城, Okinawa Times (2019), n.p.</ref>

The grounds beneath and around the reconstructed castle were named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000, and the reconstructed castle became the site of regular reenactments of royal court ceremonies and numerous other cultural performances, as well as regularly-cycling temporary exhibits of artworks and other treasures related to the kingdom. The castle quickly became the most-visited tourist site on Okinawa Island, boasting some three million visitors a year.<ref>"Hôdô shashin shû Shurijô" 報道写真集・首里城, Okinawa Times (2019), n.p.</ref>