Ryukyuan architecture

The second step involved baking the dried mud mixture, processing it into the iconic red roof tiles which is one of the most significant features of Okinawan architecture.

In addition to the houses with red roofs, Ryukyuan architecture also consists of castles or fortresses, which are prominent in the Ryukyu Islands.

Primarily, walls made of white limestone surround the houses, which serves the purpose of ensuring the privacy of the occupants.

Also, there is a traditional shisa lion sitting on the red tile roof of the building to signal protection from unwanted spirits.

The red tile roof was a common feature of the Okinawan architecture and it demonstrated the ability of the local people to build structures that could withstand regular typhoons and show the region’s years of adaptation and traditions.

[9] Ryukyu Islands is the windiest part of Japan, which makes it easy for the tiles to fall off, which require constant repairs.

The Shuri Castle is a famous Okinawan architecture building that has been reconstructed numerous times after being ruined during war and conflict.

The building experienced significant ruin during the Battle of Okinawa, which lasted from March to June in 1945, because it was used by the Japanese army as a bunker.

[13][14] Arguably, Shuri Castle is the most famous building in the history of the Ryukyuan architecture because of its cultural heritage and persistence since the late 1300s.

Perched on a hilltop, Shuri Castle is a diplomatic, cultural and political symbol in Okinawa because it served as Kingdom’s headquarter for more than 400 years.

Because of its cultural value, however, the government and the local community worked together to reconstruct the structure to its original form and it was reopened to the public in 1992.

[17][18] Since its opening, the building has been conserved as a cultural heritage that the local people enjoy along with visitors who visit the area as tourists.

For instance, the reconstruction of the castle presented the local people with the opportunity to reflect on their past values and narrate afresh their experiences for future generations.