News Okinawa’s Beloved 500-year-old Shuri Castle Destroyed by Fire (Video) By Kendall Cornish Kendall Cornish Facebook Instagram Twitter Kendall Cornish is an e-commerce editor and digital producer. With a background in branding and growth marketing, Kendall is skilled in operations management, art direction, technical editing, and product marketing. She's currently the Best List writer and producer for Apartment Therapy and previously worked as an e-commerce editor for many Dotdash Meredith brands, including InStyle, Real Simple, Health, Travel + Leisure, and People. * 3+ years of experience working as an editor and content strategist * Received a bachelor's degree in English language and literature/letters from the University of Hawaii at Manoa * Received a certificate in publishing, communication and media studies from Columbia University * Received a certificate in digital marketing, e-commerce, and marketing analytics from The Wharton School Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines Published on October 31, 2019 Share Tweet Pin Email Shuri Castle, the 500-year old UNESCO Heritage Site and one of Okinawa’s most beloved historical sites, went ablaze on Thursday, just before 2:40 a.m. local time. The Japan castle is Okinawa’s largest wooden structure, and while the cause of the fire is still unclear, officials say that the fire most likely started within the building. Flames swept quickly throughout the site, including its large main hall, the castle's most recognizable building. Local residents were temporarily evacuated as the fire was extinguished by early afternoon. “All the main buildings have burned down, and nothing remains,” said Daisuke Furugen, an official with the Naha Fire Department told The Japan Times, which also mentioned that the building had no sprinkler system. SOPA Images/Getty Images Even though the flames are extinguished, they left behind a skeleton of what was the brightly painted Shuri Castle. According to The Mainichi, the Japanese government has vowed to rebuild the ancient structure, paying homage and respect to what the site represents for Okinawa. STR/Getty Images "We recognize it's an extremely important symbol of Okinawa," Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told the newspaper. "I express my sympathy to residents of Okinawa Prefecture from the bottom my heart. The incident is heartbreaking." Shuri Castle dates back to Okinawa’s Ryukyu Kingdom, where it served as the seat of the Ryukyu dynasty for over 400 years. Located atop a hill overlooking Naha, the prefecture’s capital, Shuri Castle remained a regal symbol of Okinawa’s recovery from World War II and the Battle of Okinawa. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit