NAHA -- Friday marked three months since a fire destroyed the main part of Shuri Castle (see below) in Naha. A local resident who was chosen to play the role of a king from the Ryukyu Kingdom days at events related to the castle has formed a group to plan new events to boost efforts for the reconstruction of the complex through the power of citizens.
Tomoaki Takara, who has lived in the Shuri district of the city since childhood, was chosen to play the king's role in September, bestowed with promoting the Ryukyu culture through events in and outside Okinawa Prefecture during his one-year "reign."
At a festival at Shuri Castle on Oct. 27, the 42-year-old company employee showed himself in the king's attire to the public for the first time -- just four days before the fire.
The disaster led Takara to believe it would be necessary to create a platform to gather ideas and opinions for the castle's reconstruction. He then created an open chat on the Line free messaging app. At one time, the open chat had more than 700 members, and about 70 people attended an inaugural meeting of the reconstruction support group on Nov. 3.
The group received a number of ideas, such as holding an event to project images of Shuri Castle on the castellated walls, as well as creating opportunities to show the reconstruction processes. The group submitted these ideas to the Naha municipal government and the foundation that manages the castle. These ideas reached all the way to the central government, with Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga announcing a plan to hold a projection mapping event in December.
The support group has also held some events, including a symposium on the history of the castle by inviting experts. In February, it plans to hold a workshop to study the culture and history of the castle.
An annual New Year celebration event was held at the Shurijo Castle Park as usual at the request of local residents, in which Takara participated in the king's role.
"I was so shocked by the fire that I have only scattered memories," Takara recalled. "But I couldn't help but take action.
"Voices of support from people in and outside the country made me realize again what a great presence the castle has. I will keep thinking what I can do and taking action."
Central, pref. govts going on
The central and Okinawa prefectural governments have been making steady efforts to reconstruct Shuri Castle.
The central government has set up a council of relevant ministers headed by Suga, with an aim to compile a roadmap for the reconstruction before this fiscal year ends in March.
The prefectural government has asked a panel of experts to discuss issues such as how to restore artworks that were damaged in the fire and how to promote local tourism, including the castle's neighborhood. Based on these discussions, the prefectural government aims to create a reconstruction plan by May 2022, which marks the 50th anniversary of the return of Okinawa to Japanese sovereignty.
On the other hand, for an area around the Seiden main hall, to which entries have remained restricted, the central government will start to remove debris as early as February. Some of the remains that are part of a UNESCO World Heritage site -- such as stone walls that can be found underground at the hall -- are scheduled to open to the public by the Golden Week holiday period in May.
Impact on World Heritage assets deemed minor
The fire that destroyed the main part of Shuri Castle in Naha in October had only a minor impact on the value as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Cultural Affairs Agency has said in its report to the U.N. body.
The Seiden main hall and other structures were destroyed by the fire that broke out in the early hours of Oct. 31. They were on the castle's foundations and other ruins, which are part of a UNESCO World Heritage site. Some of these ruins were also damaged in the fire.
In its report, dated Wednesday, the agency said the two fire-damaged parts of the ruins had been exposed for research and exhibition purposes. The damaged areas constituted only about 0.05 percent of the castle complex, according to the report.
-- Shuri Castle fire
Taking place in the early hours of Oct. 31, 2019, the fire destroyed or damaged the Seiden main hall and seven other structures, while about 400 artworks were also lost. While the local fire department strongly suspected that the fire was caused by a fault in the complex's electrical equipment, the local police were not able to identify the cause and concluded that the fire was not the result of arson or other criminal acts.
The Okinawa prefectural and Naha municipal governments have received donations worth more than 2.3 billion yen combined as of Wednesday.
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