1 Year On, Donations Top 5 B. Yen for Rebuilding Shuri Castle

Naha, Okinawa Pref., Oct. 31 (Jiji Press)--Since the massive fire a year ago that hit Okinawa Prefecture's Shuri Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site, donations have exceeded 5 billion yen for the reconstruction of the historical landmark in the southern Japan prefecture.

A reconstruction project led by the Cabinet Office and the Okinawa prefectural government has kicked into gear. Meanwhile, the cause of the fire remains unidentified, leaving undecided who should be held responsible.

In the predawn hours of Oct. 31, 2019, the fire started in the castle's Seiden main building, before spreading to six other structures.

Under the project, the construction of a new Seiden building is expected to start in 2022, with a survey for the procurement of wood materials and work to draw up its basic design currently under way. Construction is planned to be finished in 2026.

The Cabinet Office's Okinawa General Bureau upholds the slogan "reconstruction on display," planning to showcase the stages of the Shuri Castle reconstruction process.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]