# Shuri Castle, Okinawa > Shuri Castle is the Ryukyu royal palace on a hill above Naha and a UNESCO site. The gates and walls are free to see; the inner area is paid. On 23 November 2026 the rebuilt red Seiden throne hall opens. Entry is ¥400 until 21 November and ¥1,000 from 23 November. The paid area opens 8:30–19:00, until 18:00 in winter. It's 15 minutes from Shuri station. Web page: https://yesgo.io/japan/okinawa/shuri-castle - City: [Okinawa](https://yesgo.io/japan/okinawa), Japan - YesGo score: 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 2 h - Opening hours: April–November: free area 8:00–19:30, paid area 8:30–19:00 (last entry 18:30); December–March: 8:00–18:30 and 8:30–18:00 (last entry 17:30) - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry until 21.11.2026: ¥400; high school ¥300; schoolchildren ¥160 - Entry from 23.11.2026: ¥1,000; high school ¥760; schoolchildren ¥370 - Inside the Seiden: From 23.11.2026, with a dated, timed ticket - Closed: 22 November 2026 all day; 23 November until noon - Paid area hours: 8:30–19:00 to November; 8:30–18:00 from December - Getting there: Yui Rail to Shuri, about 15 minutes on foot - Coordinates: 26.21703, 127.71948 - Facts checked: 09.11.2026 ## Key facts - **Ryukyu** — the kingdom whose palace Shuri was (source: oki-park.jp) - **2000** — the year it was listed by UNESCO (source: oki-park.jp) - **23.11.2026** — the rebuilt Seiden hall opens (source: oki-park.jp) - **400 × 200 m** — the size of the castle on its hill (source: oki-park.jp) - **120–130 m** — height of the hill above the sea (source: oki-park.jp) - **Shureimon** — the gate on the ¥2,000 note (source: oki-park.jp) - **Ukejo** — a morning gate-opening rite at Hoshinmon (source: oki-park.jp) - **¥1,000** — entry from 23 November 2026 (source: oki-park.jp) ## What is Shuri Castle? **Shuri Castle**, Shuri-jo, was the palace of the **Ryukyu** kings, who ruled Okinawa and neighbouring islands for centuries. It stands on a hill 120–130 metres above Naha and covers about 400 by 200 metres. It was the kingdom's centre of politics, diplomacy and culture, and the castle blends Japanese and Chinese traditions. In **2000** it became part of a UNESCO World Heritage site. A sequence of limestone gates and walls leads to the palace: the famous **Shureimon** — the gate of the 'Land of Propriety', pictured on the ¥2,000 note — and then **Kankaimon**, guarded by stone shisa lions. The main throne hall, the **Seiden**, the kingdom's largest building, has been rebuilt from scratch and opens to the public on **23 November 2026**. > **New prices and booking from 23 November** According to the official site, the park is closed all day on 22 November 2026, and on 23 November the paid area opens only at 12:00 — the day the Seiden first opens to the public. From 23 November entry is ¥1,000, and to go inside the Seiden you need a ticket with a date and time slot, at no extra charge. Buy it online in advance. ## Tickets and hours According to the official site, until **21 November 2026** entry to the paid area costs **¥400** for adults, ¥300 for high-schoolers and ¥160 for schoolchildren; from **23 November** it's **¥1,000**, ¥760 and ¥370. Under-6s go free. The price is the same with or without a visit inside the Seiden. From April to November the free area with its gates opens **8:00 to 19:30** and the paid area **8:30 to 19:00** (last entry 18:30). From December to March it's 8:00–18:30 and 8:30–18:00 (last entry 17:30). Tickets are sold at the Kofukumon gate office and online; cards and e-money are accepted. ## What to see - **The Shureimon gate** — a symbol of Okinawa. - **The Kankaimon gate** with stone shisa. - **The Seiden throne hall** — from 23 November 2026. - **The Iri-no-Azana viewpoint** — a view over Naha. - **Agari-no-Azana** — a view of Kudaka Island. - **The Ukejo rite** — the morning gate opening. ## How to get to Shuri Castle 1. **Yui Rail monorail** — to Shuri station, then about 15 minutes on foot. 2. **Gibo station** — on the same line, also about 15 minutes. 3. **From Naha Airport** — monorail to Shuri, about 30 minutes. 4. **From Kokusai-dori** — monorail from Makishi or Kencho-mae, about 15 minutes. 5. **By car** — parking at the Suimui-kan centre, up to 3 hours. ## Shuri Castle or Shikina-en Garden | | Shuri Castle | Shikina-en | | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | The royal palace | The kings' country residence | | Highlights | Gates, walls, the Seiden | Pond, bridges, villa | | Entry | ¥1,000 from 23.11.2026 | A small fee | | Time | 1.5–2 hours | 45 minutes | ## How long do you need? Allow **1.5–2 hours** for the castle: walk the free area with its gates and viewpoints, then enter the paid area for the Seiden and the halls showing how the palace was rebuilt. If you're visiting the Seiden interior, arrive for the time on your ticket. Every morning at the **Hoshinmon** gate a short rite called **Ukejo** takes place — a ceremonial opening of the gates as in the kingdom's day. Arrive by 8:30 to see it. You can rest at the **Shuri-jo Chaya** tea house: for ¥800 it serves sanpin jasmine tea with four traditional Ryukyu sweets. Near the castle are the Ryutan and Enkanchi ponds, and the Tamaudun royal mausoleum is five minutes' walk away. ## Is Shuri Castle worth visiting? Yes: it's Okinawa's main sight, and with the Seiden opening in November 2026, more so than ever. The YesGo take: in the first weeks after the Seiden opens it will be very crowded, and tickets for the interior may sell out. Book ahead, or come later, in December. The free part with its gates and view over Naha is good in itself — if you're short on time, start there. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] A dated Seiden ticket — online - [ ] Not 22 November 2026 - [ ] Arrive by 8:30 — the Ukejo rite - [ ] Comfortable shoes — slopes and steps - [ ] Monorail to Shuri ## Castles and palaces: compare and choose Castles and palaces rated by YesGo. - [Shuri Castle](https://yesgo.io/japan/okinawa/shuri-castle) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ¥400; from 23.11.2026 ¥1,000 - [Shikina-en Garden](https://yesgo.io/japan/okinawa/shikinaen) — YesGo score 35/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · ≈ ¥400 ## Naha in a day Shuri Castle and the Ukejo rite in the morning, the royal Shikina-en garden at midday, and Kokusai-dori and Makishi Market in the evening. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Shuri Castle](https://yesgo.io/japan/okinawa/shuri-castle) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ¥400; from 23.11.2026 ¥1,000 2. [Shikina-en Garden](https://yesgo.io/japan/okinawa/shikinaen) — YesGo score 35/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · ≈ ¥400 3. [Kokusai-dori](https://yesgo.io/japan/okinawa/kokusai-street) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · free ## Good to know Shuri Castle is the palace of the Ryukyu kings, not a Japanese samurai castle like Himeji. It is also written Shurijo. ## Tips - From 23 November 2026 — ¥1,000. - Seiden interior — with a dated ticket. - Closed on 22 November 2026. - The Ukejo rite — around 8:30. - At midday: [Shikina-en Garden](https://yesgo.io/japan/okinawa/shikinaen). ## Questions ### How much is entry to Shuri Castle? ¥400 until 21 November 2026, ¥1,000 for adults from 23 November. ### When does the Seiden open? On 23 November 2026, from 12:00. ### Do I need to book? To see inside the Seiden — yes, a dated, timed ticket at no extra charge. ### What are the opening hours? Paid area 8:30–19:00 to November, 8:30–18:00 from December to March. ### What is free? The area with the Shureimon and Kankaimon gates and the viewpoints. ### How do I get there? Yui Rail to Shuri station, then about 15 minutes on foot. ### How long do you need? 1.5–2 hours. ### When is it closed? All day on 22 November 2026, and until noon on 23 November. ## How we checked Prices, booking, hours, closures, gates, the rite and the tea house are from the park's official site. The kingdom and UNESCO status are from Wikipedia. We don't describe why the Seiden and gates were rebuilt. Time needed is the YesGo estimate. ## Sources - Park official site (oki-park.jp/shurijo) — prices before and after 23.11.2026, Seiden booking, seasonal hours, closures, gates, the Ukejo rite, tea house, dimensions (checked 09.11.2026) - English Wikipedia: Shuri Castle — the Ryukyu Kingdom, UNESCO - Wikidata Q907052 — coordinates --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.