Changes

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> 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>

While responsibility for the management and maintenance of the castle grounds and structures was divided between the national and prefectural governments, the Churashima Foundation (which also oversees Okinawa Ocean Expo Park and plays a prominent role in the operation of the Okinawa Prefectural Museum) oversees the reproduction and maintenance of individual objects such as statuary, furniture, and wall decor, as well as the castle's collections of surviving historical artworks and artifacts.<ref>Uezu Yasuyuki, "The Path towards the Restoration of Shurijo Castle," n.d., 7.</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>