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Okinawa’s First Postwar Building Listed as Cultural Property Receives Plaque

NAHA, Nov 19 (News On Japan) - Okinawa Hotel in Naha received a commemorative bronze plaque from the Agency for Cultural Affairs after being designated as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property by the national government.

Founded in 1941 in Naminoue as the only hotel operating in Okinawa at the time, Okinawa Hotel later relocated to the Omoromachi district of Naha and went on to serve tourists, government officials, and other visitors, becoming an important part of the prefecture’s postwar tourism industry.

In March 2024, the Agency for Cultural Affairs registered the hotel as a Tangible Cultural Property, recognizing features such as its Brick Wing, which preserves the structure’s original appearance, and its stone-tiled walls and roof tiles that reflect Okinawa’s traditional landscape.

To mark the designation, the agency presented a bronze plaque to the hotel on November 17th, with General Manager Koki Miyazato expressing his gratitude.

Miyazato said he intends to carry the responsibility and pride of managing a registered cultural property while continuing to build a hotel that remains beloved by the community and can carry its legacy into the next century.

Okinawa Hotel is the 36th site in the prefecture to be designated a Registered Tangible Cultural Property, and the first postwar building in Okinawa to receive the designation.

Source: 沖縄ニュースOTV

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