|
ß@
|
|
| 
|
The destruction of Shuri Castle left the people of Okinawa with
an inexpressible sense of loss and the deep feeling that "without
the restoration of Shuri Castle, the war is not over for Okinawa."
Reconstruction of the castle, the symbol of Okinawan culture, the
site of 23 national treasures before the war, was therefore the
heartfelt wish of the people of the prefecture.
The restoration of Shuri Castle and other sites in its vicinity began during the
Showa era, continued into the Heisei era and is still ongoing. Shureimon
was the first structure to be rebuilt, in 1958. Then, one after another, the Enkakuji
outer gate, Bezaitendo and the Tennyo Bridge were rebuilt or repaired.
Plans to relocate the campus of the University of the Ryukyus from its site on
the ruins of Shuri Castle presented an opportunity to restore the Seiden,
the castle's focus, and other structures in the old compound. The university's
move was planned and carried out between 1967 and 1982, and once it was decided
upon, various plans for use of the old castle site were put forward. In due course,
thinking came to focus on the idea of making the castle and its precincts a public
park. When a statement was included in the Second Okinawa Development Plan to
the effect that the site was appropriate for a park that would restore and revive
the historical atmosphere of Shuri Castle, interest in restoration went into high
gear. In 1984, Okinawa Prefecture drew up the Shuri Castle Park Basic Plan and
the next year funds to begin a survey of Seiden reconstruction possibilities
were included in the national government budget. In thus opening the way for the
restoration of the castle's main building, this marked a big step forward in the
rebuilding of the castle. |
| Next>> |
|
|
