NAHA - A king and queen dressed in elaborate traditional Ryukyu costumes appeared at Shuri Castle in Okinawa on November 2 as the annual Shuri Castle Restoration Festival celebrated the former kingdom's cultural heritage and built anticipation for the November 23 public opening of the reconstructed main hall.
The festival, which began on November 1, is held each year to introduce visitors to the history and traditions of the Ryukyu Kingdom while encouraging public support for the restoration of Shuri Castle, which was devastated by a major fire in October 2019.
On November 2, performers portraying the Ryukyu king and queen appeared in front of Hoshinmon Gate, one of the castle's principal ceremonial entrances, wearing richly decorated royal costumes. Visitors gathered to photograph the colorful spectacle, which offered a glimpse of the elaborate court traditions that once flourished at the castle.
One visitor was particularly moved by the occasion, revealing that the woman portraying the queen was her older sister. "It was absolutely wonderful. The person playing the queen is my older sister, so I was deeply moved to see her dressed in such magnificent clothing," the visitor said.
Another visitor, originally from Okinawa, recalled the shock of seeing the castle engulfed in flames seven years earlier. "I'm from Okinawa, and I was deeply shocked when the castle burned down. I decided to come back today for the first time in a while, and seeing the costumes up close made me want to try wearing them myself," the visitor said.
With the reconstructed main hall scheduled to open to the public on November 23, visitors also expressed hopes that the occasion would become a shared celebration of the castle's revival. "I hope everyone can welcome the opening day with a feeling of celebration," one attendee said.
The three-day restoration festival concluded on November 3 with a traditional procession recreating a royal visit to a temple in the castle town. Known as the Koshiki Gyoretsu, the ceremonial parade featured performers portraying the king and queen wearing reconstructed Ryukyu royal costumes, bringing to life a historic court ritual from the era when Shuri Castle served as the political and cultural center of the Ryukyu Kingdom.
The festival formed part of broader efforts to reconnect residents and visitors with the castle's history as restoration work approaches a major milestone, nearly seven years after the fire destroyed its main structures.
Source: 沖縄ニュースOTV
