On November 23, 2026, the Seiden (正殿), the main hall of Shuri Castle in Naha, Okinawa, reopens to the public. It has been rebuilt after the 2019 fire that destroyed it.
The Okinawa Churashima Foundation, which runs the park, has deliberately kept the rebuilding open to public view. This time, visitors can go inside the restored hall.
If you are planning a trip to Okinawa, three questions matter before you go. Do you need a reservation? How much does it cost? And how do you book, given that there is no English reservation page?
You need a reservation only to view the Seiden interior. General admission is ¥1,000 for adults (revised November 23, 2026). The free areas and the rest of the paid grounds need no reservation.
What reopens on November 23, 2026
The reopening covers the interior of the rebuilt Seiden. The North Hall, the South Hall, and the Una courtyard (御庭) in front of the Seiden will be restored in later stages, so they are not open yet.
Special hours apply on opening day. An opening ceremony hosted by Okinawa Prefecture takes place in the morning, so the park stays closed until midday. The free areas open at 11:15, and the paid areas and the Seiden at 12:00.
The day before, Sunday, November 22, the entire park is closed all day. If you plan to visit for the reopening, take both dates into account.
When you need a reservation (and when you don't)
A timed reservation is required only to go inside the Seiden. It does not mean you need a reservation to enter the park.
- The free areas, such as Shureimon Gate (守礼門), the Sonohyan-utaki Ishimon stone gate (園比屋武御嶽石門), and the Shimo-no-Una forecourt (下之御庭), need no ticket and no reservation.
- The paid areas outside the Seiden interior, such as Yohokoriden Hall (世誇殿) and the Agari-no-Azana observation point (東のアザナ), need a ticket but no timed reservation.
- Only going inside the Seiden requires a date-and-time reservation.
There is no extra charge to go inside the Seiden, as it is included in admission.
Visitors who enter free of charge, such as Okinawa residents aged 70 and over, holders of a disability certificate, and annual pass holders, still need a reservation to view the Seiden interior. Children under 6 enter free, and preschoolers do not need a reservation for the interior.
Buying tickets: on-sale dates and the Japanese-only site
Tickets that include a timed Seiden reservation are sold through Webket, the official ticketing site. The site and its reservation flow are in Japanese, and there is no English reservation page, so overseas visitors book through the Japanese site.
You can work through it with a browser's built-in translation (Chrome, for example) or by running the pages through Google Translate. You reserve a specific date and a 30-minute time slot, so settle on your date first.
The official ticket page lists the current fees, the on-sale dates, and the link to Webket: Shuri Castle Park official ticket guide.
The on-sale timing depends on your entry date.
- For entry on or after January 1, 2027, tickets go on sale at 13:00 on the 1st of the month, two months before your entry date. To enter in March, for example, booking opens on January 1 at 13:00.
- For entry between November 23 and December 31, 2026, tickets went on sale in two rounds, on September 1 and October 1, and are already available. Some dates may sell out.
If you do not plan to go inside the Seiden, a ticket without interior access (and without a timed slot) is sold from one month before your entry date through the day of your visit. It needs no timed reservation.
Same-day tickets that include the Seiden interior are sold only when slots remain, until 15 minutes before the slot starts, through Webket or the Kofukumon (広福門) ticket booth.
The last Seiden-interior slot runs 18:00–18:29 from April to November, and 17:00–17:29 from December to March.
Because slots fill, booking ahead is the safer choice when your dates are set. On busy days, slots can sell out soon after they open at 13:00, so check the official ticket page for current availability.
The new entry fee (from November 23, 2026)
New admission fees for the paid areas take effect for entries on or after November 23, 2026. Here are the individual rates, for parties of fewer than 20:
Category (individual) | Before | From Nov 23 |
|---|---|---|
Adult | ¥400 | ¥1,000 |
High school | ¥300 | ¥760 |
Elementary / junior high | ¥160 | ¥370 |
Under 6 | Free | Free |
Group rates (20 or more) and the annual pass are revised on the same day. The foundation cites stronger fire- and disaster-prevention measures for the Seiden, along with rising operating costs, as the reasons for the change.
Opening hours and what you can see for free
The outer, free areas need no ticket or reservation. Shureimon Gate, Shuri Castle's symbol, along with the Sonohyan-utaki Ishimon and the Shimo-no-Una forecourt, are all free to visit. Their hours shift by season.
- Free areas: 8:00–19:30 (Apr–Nov), 8:00–18:30 (Dec–Mar)
- Paid areas: 8:30–19:00, last entry 18:30 (Apr–Nov); 8:30–18:00, last entry 17:30 (Dec–Mar)
To see the Seiden from outside, you'll need a paid-area ticket, but no timed reservation if you are not going inside. The Una courtyard in front of the Seiden is part of the area still being restored and cannot be entered yet.
Getting to Shuri Castle from Naha Airport
Shuri Castle Park sits on a hill in eastern Naha. From Naha Airport, take the Yui Rail monorail to Shuri Station, about 27 minutes (¥360 for adults). From there it is about a 15-minute walk to Shureimon.
By city bus, the "Shurijo-mae" stop is about a one-minute walk from Shureimon. If you drive, the Suimuikan (首里杜館) parking lots (P1 and P2) can fill up in the morning, so public transit is the easier option.
Tickets for entry between November 23 and December 31, 2026 are already on sale. If you are visiting in that window, check availability for the Seiden interior before you reserve.
This article was translated from the original Japanese with AI assistance and reviewed by our editorial team. The Japanese version is authoritative.