NAHA –
A king and queen wearing elaborate conventional Ryukyu costumes appeared at Shuri Castle in Okinawa on November 2 because the annual Shuri Castle Restoration Festival celebrated the previous kingdom’s cultural heritage and constructed anticipation for the November 23 public opening of the reconstructed predominant corridor.
The pageant, which started on November 1, is held annually to introduce guests to the historical past and traditions of the Ryukyu Kingdom whereas encouraging public assist for the restoration of Shuri Castle, which was devastated by a serious fireplace in October 2019.
On November 2, performers portraying the Ryukyu king and queen appeared in entrance of Hoshinmon Gate, one of many fort’s principal ceremonial entrances, sporting richly adorned royal costumes. Visitors gathered to {photograph} the colourful spectacle, which provided a glimpse of the frilly courtroom traditions that when flourished on the fort.
One customer was notably moved by the event, revealing that the lady 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 customer mentioned.
Another customer, initially from Okinawa, recalled the shock of seeing the fort 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 customer mentioned.
With the reconstructed predominant corridor scheduled to open to the general public on November 23, guests additionally expressed hopes that the event would change into a shared celebration of the fort’s revival. “I hope everyone can welcome the opening day with a feeling of celebration,” one attendee mentioned.
The three-day restoration pageant concluded on November 3 with a conventional procession recreating a royal go to to a temple within the fort city. Known because the Koshiki Gyoretsu, the ceremonial parade featured performers portraying the king and queen sporting reconstructed Ryukyu royal costumes, bringing to life a historic courtroom ritual from the period when Shuri Castle served because the political and cultural middle of the Ryukyu Kingdom.
The pageant shaped a part of broader efforts to reconnect residents and guests with the fort’s historical past as restoration work approaches a serious milestone, almost seven years after the fireplace destroyed its predominant buildings.
Source: 沖縄ニュースOTV