Shuri Castle Burning: A Silhouette of Tragedy Magnet

Shuri Castle is a Ryukyuan gusuku castle in Shuri, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Between 1429 and 1879, it was the palace of the Ryukyu Kingdom, before becoming largely neglected. In 1945, during the Battle of Okinawa, it was almost completely destroyed. After the war, the castle was re-purposed as a university campus. Beginning in 1992, the central citadel and walls were largely reconstructed on the original site based on historical records, photographs, and memory. On the morning of 31 October 2019, the main courtyard structures of the castle were again destroyed in a fire.