Okinawa's Shuri Castle Fire Damage At $49 Mil.
NHK has learned that the damage from the 2019 fire at Shuri Castle in Okinawa Prefecture, which destroyed the castle's main structures, is estimated at 5.3 billion yen, or about 49 million dollars.
The fire burned down six buildings, including the Seiden main hall. The landmark sat on underground ruins of the original castle built more than 500 years ago by the Ryukyu Kingdom. The remnants are listed as a World Heritage site. Two other structures were partially damaged.
NHK asked the local fire department to disclose information about damage caused by the fire and learned that the overall damage is estimated at about 49 million dollars. The amount is calculated by the cost of construction and how many years have passed since completion.
The damage to the Seiden main hall is estimated at about 23 million dollars, followed by the Kugani-Udun building at around 7 million dollars.
The damage to artifacts stored at the castle is estimated at about 1.9 million dollars.
The Japanese government plans to begin the reconstruction work of the Seiden main hall next year and finish it by 2026.