Shurijo Castle Restoration Festival - Autumn Festival of Okinawa

The Shurijo Castle Restoration Festival is an autumn celebration in Okinawa where you can experience the vibrant history and culture of the Ryukyu Kingdom at Shurijo Castle Park and Kokusai Street in Naha. Originally known as the "Shurijo Castle Festival," it was renamed to its current title following the 2019 fire to embody a spirit of restoration and revival. The festival's highlight is the Ryukyu Royal Scroll Procession, featuring over 400 participants centered around the King and Queen, dressed in colorful Ryukyuan costumes and traditional performing arts parading through Kokusai Street, drawing crowds of spectators along the route. Additionally, diverse programs unfold, including ancient processions recreating the "Sankeiji Sanpei Gyoko" (the King's pilgrimage to three temples below Shuri Castle), the royal appearance of the King and Queen at Houshinmon Gate, performances of Ryukyuan dance and kumiodori (classical Okinawan opera), and local hatahoko gāē (flag pole competitions). In conjunction with the "visible restoration" initiative that opens the reconstruction site to the public, the festival offers a precious opportunity to experience both the once-in-a-lifetime view of Shuri Castle and the profound depths of traditional culture simultaneously.