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Documentary records show that Shuri Castle was completely destroyed by fire and
rebuilt four times in its history. The first devastating fire occurred in 1453.
Sho Hashi's fifth son, Sho Kinpuku, the fifth king of the first
Sho dynasty, died after only four years on the throne. His son Shiro
went to war with Sho Kinpuku's brother Furo over succession and
both were killed. In the course of this turmoil, the castle was burned. The records
do not reveal the details of its destruction and reconstruction. However, its
rebuilding took place only after some years had passed.
The second conflagration occurred in 1660 and seems to have been an accidental
fire. The Seiden and other buildings were burned, necessitating a move
of the king's residence for some years to the Omi Palace, adjacent to the Ouchibara,
where Shuri High School is now located. The visit of Sappo envoys - always
the most important event in the kingdom - in 1663, during the reign of King Sho
Shitsu, was also hosted at the Omi Palace. The royal finances were in tatters
at the time, so not surprisingly no progress was made on rebuilding the castle.
When Haneji Choshu (Sho Shoken) became regent and restored the kingdom
to solvency, reconstruction work began and was completed in 1671, eleven years
after the castle's destruction. At that time, Haneji Choshu himself, during
the "Haneji austerity" said, "I rebuilt the castle grander
than before," according to records.
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