Changes

Succession disputes which broke out following the death of King [[Sho Kinpuku|Shô Kinpuku]] in [[1453]] led to the destruction of the palace buildings at that time, and the loss of many artifacts including silver seals granted the kings of Ryûkyû by the Hongwu Emperor as signs of authority<ref>Kerr. p97.</ref>. The castle was rebuilt shortly afterward.

Succession disputes which broke out following the death of King [[Sho Kinpuku|Shô Kinpuku]] in [[1453]] led to the destruction of the palace buildings at that time, and the loss of many artifacts including silver seals granted the kings of Ryûkyû by the Hongwu Emperor as signs of authority<ref>Kerr. p97.</ref>. The castle was rebuilt shortly afterward.

The reigns of [[Sho Shin|Shô Shin]] (r. 1477-1526) and [[Sho Sei (1497-1555)|Shô Sei]] (r. 1527-1555) saw considerable renovation and expansion of the castle, including the construction or expansion of the outer ring of stone walls in [[1544]]-[[1546]], addition of the stone dragon pillars at the entrance to the Seiden in [[1508]],<ref>Though some sources have indicated there was confusion, during the reconstruction of the palace in the 1990s as to which direction the dragons should face, pre-war photos clearly show the dragons facing inwards, towards the staircase and towards one another. Kikuchi Yuko, ''Japanese Modernisation and Mingei Theory'', Routledge Curzon (2004), 146. In the end, today, they once again stand facing one another.</ref> and the construction of a number of temples and secondary buildings outside the castle complex proper, including the royal mausoleum of [[Tamaudun]], completed in [[1501]]<ref name=Kerr109>Kerr. p109.</ref>. The castle would remain through the centuries largely in the form it took at this time<ref name=chanpuru>Kadekawa, Manabu. ''Okinawa Chanpurû Jiten'' (沖縄チャンプルー事典, "Okinawa Champloo Encyclopedia"). Tokyo: Yamakei Publishing, 2001. p54.</ref>.

The reigns of [[Sho Shin|Shô Shin]] (r. 1477-1526) and [[Sho Sei (尚清)|Shô Sei]] (r. 1527-1555) saw considerable renovation and expansion of the castle, including the construction or expansion of the outer ring of stone walls in [[1544]]-[[1546]], addition of the stone dragon pillars at the entrance to the Seiden in [[1508]],<ref>Though some sources have indicated there was confusion, during the reconstruction of the palace in the 1990s as to which direction the dragons should face, pre-war photos clearly show the dragons facing inwards, towards the staircase and towards one another. Kikuchi Yuko, ''Japanese Modernisation and Mingei Theory'', Routledge Curzon (2004), 146. In the end, today, they once again stand facing one another.</ref> and the construction of a number of temples and secondary buildings outside the castle complex proper, including the royal mausoleum of [[Tamaudun]], completed in [[1501]]<ref name=Kerr109>Kerr. p109.</ref>. The castle would remain through the centuries largely in the form it took at this time<ref name=chanpuru>Kadekawa, Manabu. ''Okinawa Chanpurû Jiten'' (沖縄チャンプルー事典, "Okinawa Champloo Encyclopedia"). Tokyo: Yamakei Publishing, 2001. p54.</ref>.

It was famously sieged in [[1609]], when [[invasion of Ryukyu|the kingdom fell]] to forces of the [[Shimazu clan]] of [[Satsuma han]]. Ryukyuan defenses fell quickly to the samurai invaders, who entered the castle on 1609/4/3; King [[Sho Nei|Shô Nei]] surrendered two days later. The castle was looted: many artifacts and documents were stolen or destroyed, and the king was taken hostage along with the queen, crown prince, and a great many government advisors and officials. Shô Nei was allowed to return to Shuri, however, in [[1611]], and to resume governance of the kingdom, under the watchful eye and strict guidelines of Satsuma; Shuri castle remained the center of governance until the abolition of the kingdom in [[1879]].

It was famously sieged in [[1609]], when [[invasion of Ryukyu|the kingdom fell]] to forces of the [[Shimazu clan]] of [[Satsuma han]]. Ryukyuan defenses fell quickly to the samurai invaders, who entered the castle on 1609/4/3; King [[Sho Nei|Shô Nei]] surrendered two days later. The castle was looted: many artifacts and documents were stolen or destroyed, and the king was taken hostage along with the queen, crown prince, and a great many government advisors and officials. Shô Nei was allowed to return to Shuri, however, in [[1611]], and to resume governance of the kingdom, under the watchful eye and strict guidelines of Satsuma; Shuri castle remained the center of governance until the abolition of the kingdom in [[1879]].

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>

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> Over the following decades, additional areas were restored and opened to the public. The Yuinchi, Kugani udun, Kinshû tsumesho, and Okushoin (described below) were restored and opened in 2014, and in February 2019, areas of the Higashi no Azana (eastern lookout) and Ouchibaru (women's quarters) not previously open were made accessible to the public.<ref>"Hôdô shashin shû Shurijô," 34.</ref>

The Seiden caught fire early in the morning on Oct 31, 2019; the fire soon spread, and by the time it was put out in the early afternoon that same day, the Seiden and Hokuden had been completely destroyed, with the Nanden and four other structures (for a total of seven structures) suffering severe damage. Some number of historical treasures were lost in the fire. There are plans to rebuild the lost structures, however it is unclear how long this will take, or the extent of the losses of irreplaceable cultural artifacts and the like.<ref name=nhkfire>"[https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20191031/amp/k10012157881000.html 首里城で火災「正殿」などが全焼 那覇]," NHK News Web, 31 Oct 2019.</ref>

The Seiden caught fire early in the morning on Oct 31, 2019; the fire soon spread, and by the time it was put out in the early afternoon that same day, the Seiden and Hokuden had been completely destroyed, with the Nanden and four other structures (for a total of seven structures) suffering severe damage. Some number of historical treasures were lost in the fire. There are plans to rebuild the lost structures, however it is unclear how long this will take, or the extent of the losses of irreplaceable cultural artifacts and the like.<ref name=nhkfire>"[https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20191031/amp/k10012157881000.html 首里城で火災「正殿」などが全焼 那覇]," NHK News Web, 31 Oct 2019.</ref>