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The Shuri Castle used to be the center of the administrative power and the residence of the royal family of the Ryukyu Kingdom. This was the ancient kingdom governing the Ryukyu Islands in the Southern part of Japan. In 1879, the islands, including Okinawa, became an official part of the Japanese territory and soon then, the Ryukyu Monarchy was demolished.

The location is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, desgnated as Castles of the Ryukyu Kingdom. The structure was said to have been constructed in the 1300s. Reconstructions and rehabilitations were done in 1992 to preserve the heritage of the Shuri Castle.

Photo by 663highland. Licensed under Creative Commons. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en)

Tags: shuri castle, royal family, ryukyu kingdom, okinawa, ryukyu islands, ryukyu monarchy, unesco world heritage site, castles of the ryukyu kingdom