Shuri Castle

Shuri Castle (Shurijo), on a hill above Naha, was the royal palace of the Ryukyu Kingdom. After a fire on 2019/10/31 destroyed its main hall, the Seiden, the castle has been rebuilt in front of visitors, and the new Seiden opens to the public at 12:00 on 2026/11/23.

Visiting the Seiden from 2026/11/23

Timed tickets for the interior
To go inside the Seiden you buy an admission ticket with a Seiden viewing slot on Webket, the park's official ticket site; the slot costs nothing extra. Tickets for 2026/11/23 to 2026/12/31 went on sale in two rounds, on 2026/09/01 and 2026/10/01. From 2027, tickets go on sale at 13:00 on the 1st of the month two months before your visit, so March visits open on January 1. If slots are left on the day, they're sold online until 15 minutes before the slot and at the Kofukumon ticket window. Children under school age need no reservation.

Without a reservation
A regular admission ticket, which needs no reservation, still covers the rest of the paid area, and you can see the Seiden from the outside. Bought on Webket, a ticket with a slot can be moved to another date until the day before and refunded until two days before; a regular ticket until the day itself. The last Seiden slot starts at 18:00 from April to November and 17:00 from December to March.

Around the opening
The park is closed all day on 2026/11/22 and on the morning of 2026/11/23 for the Seiden opening ceremony. Ticket prices also go up from 2026/11/23 (adults ¥400 to ¥1,000).

History

Shurijo Castle symbolizes the history and culture of the Ryukyu Kingdom. The castle is protected by curving walls and contains numerous open squares and sacred sites, features that can also be seen in other castles in Okinawa known as Gusuku. Shurijo Castle stood out among the other Gusuku, as it maintained its features and flourished while the others were defeated and ruined. The castle is divided into inner and outer baileys or wards, with the inner ward completed in the early 15th century and the outer ward completed in mid-16th century. The Seiden and other buildings within the castle are built along an east-west axis, with their fronts facing west, a distinctive feature of Shurijo Castle. Due to historical exchange with China and Japan, the castle displays a mix of architectural cultures from both countries.

Shurijo Castle served as the royal residence for the king and his family, and also functioned as the Shuri Royal Government and a religious center for the kingdom. It was also a center for cultural arts, performance and music. However, in 1879, the king was banished and the Ryukyu Kingdom was annexed and became Okinawa Prefecture. Shurijo Castle was then turned into a Japanese military post and was completely destroyed in an attack by American forces in 1945. The castle was rebuilt after the war, modeled after its appearance from the 18th century onward, and the site was registered as a World Heritage site in December 2000.

Watching the rebuild
Since the 2019 fire the reconstruction has been shown to visitors as it happens. The park lists a viewing area under the temporary roof over the Seiden, the excavated remains of earlier Seiden buildings, a room where the great dragon pillars were repaired, a reconstruction exhibition room and a large-screen film. What stays open after the Seiden opens is announced on the official site.