Shuri Castle
首里城
| Year | 13-14 Centuries |
| Reconstructed | 1992 (wood, concrete) |
| Type | Hilltop |
| Structure | 2 levels, 2 stories |
| Condition | Reconstructed |
| Rating | ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ |
| Historical Site | National Historic Site |
| Historical Value | Top 100 Castles, UNESCO World Heritage Site |
| Location | Naha, Okinawa |
| Map | Google Map |
| Access | Bus |
| Website | Shuri-jo Castle Park |
| Notes | not personally visited, all pictures donated by David. I would love to visit this and some of the other castles of Okinawa someday. |
| History |
The castle was originally founded somewhere in the 13-14th centuries. It was modified and expanded several times coming into its hieght of power during as a palace and fortress for the Ryukyu kings who established the unified Ryukyu kingdom in 1429. These kings ruled for abour 400 years until the Meiji government ousted the king in 1879 and established the prefecture of Okinawa. From 1609 the kingdom was under the control of the Satsuma clan and thereby the Tokigawa Shogunate but they kept some freedom regarding their relationships with China. Obviously Shuri Castle was neither influenced by the same factors as typical mainland castles nor does it have many of the same structures or types of architecture. The castle and other related sites in the area were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2000. |
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