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Thread: Pictures of Shuri Castle

  1. #1
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    Default Pictures of Shuri Castle

    Any one know where I can find pictures of the Shuri Castle as it looked right before WWII?

    I found these pic on the internet.





    Could anyone supply aproximate dates for these photos?
    As you can see they are all very different.
    Michael Philippus

    Talk is cheap because supply exceeds demand.

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    Those might be prior to world war 2. Nice find.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Brandon Fisher
    Those might be prior to world war 2. Nice find.
    Yes I think they are, but I would like to have approximate dates if anyone knows.

    I don't read Japanese, and I realize the Shuri Castle burned down and was rebuilt several times.

    It is my understanding that the Japanese had done some extensive renovation in the ?? late 20s or early 30s ?? I believe the style of the building was much more "Japanese" at that time. What I mean is more auster and simple and not so brightly colored as it is now.

    Now, before the "Japaneseation" (like that word?) I think it had stages where it was bright as it is now.

    I know almost all records on Okinawa were destroyed in WWII. There may be Japanese scholastic sites that might have a good picture or two of the Shurijo from the 1930s.

    I am wanting to make a painting of the palace from the time period of the 1930s, and I need a reference photo, because I know it is different from how it looks now, and how it looked before the ?? late 1920s??
    Michael Philippus

    Talk is cheap because supply exceeds demand.

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    Man I wish I could help you on that maybe Patrick McCarthy can help more.

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    Default Around 1911

    Here is one from the early 1900's. What's interesting about this one is, notice which direction the dragon pillars are facing. Click on picture to view more.



    I have two books on the Shuri castle and according to the one book, it states that in 1933, "Dismantling and repair of the former Seiden of Shurijo Castle was completed." I think that it started around not 1928 and was completed in 1933. If you compare this image and the 3rd one that you posted which is Shinpan Gusukuma, in 1937 with school kids, you can see differences in appearance of the castle - like the direction of the dragon pillars are facing.

    Regards,
    Larry
    Larry Kientz
    “When you train you have to devote yourself to karate do… You must not only learn body movements but also research and study the art itself.” - Choshin Chibana

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    Quote Originally Posted by Shorinman
    Here is one from the early 1900's. What's interesting about this one is, notice which direction the dragon pillars are facing. Click on picture to view more.



    I have two books on the Shuri castle and according to the one book, it states that in 1933, "Dismantling and repair of the former Seiden of Shurijo Castle was completed." I think that it started around not 1928 and was completed in 1933. If you compare this image and the 3rd one that you posted which is Shinpan Gusukuma, in 1937 with school kids, you can see differences in appearance of the castle - like the direction of the dragon pillars are facing.

    Regards,
    Larry
    Thank You!

    This is great!
    Michael Philippus

    Talk is cheap because supply exceeds demand.

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    I found this one, can anyone translate what it says in the caption?
    Michael Philippus

    Talk is cheap because supply exceeds demand.

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    Hi Michael,

    the text reads something like:

    The Shurijô Seiden (main hall of Shuri castle) was also called Kokuden (palace of the nation), Momourasoe and Karahafu (Chinese style gable) and was build in 1712 (in the third year of King Shô Eki's reign). Although it followed the Chinese style of construction it was accomplished with a distinctive Ryûkyûan style of architecture.
    Great pics!

    You can find a very good overview on the Seiden HERE, and generally on Shuri castle HERE

    For still images, take a look HERE and HERE


    Picture from end of Meiji era
    Best regards

    Andreas Quast

    We are Pope!

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    I contacted the http://www.pref.okinawa.jp/english/index.html and got this reply (looks like it was run through a Japanese to English translator);

    Dear Philippus
    I am really sorry to be late for an inquired answer from
    you.
    Restoration history information of Shuri Castle is out of
    our section's line,so,I ask a expert of the information, and
    our section has an answer as follows.
    About "a matter of an inquiry, I think that the photograph
    which a person asked a question watched is a prewar thing".
    Because it is a basically monochromatic photograph, a color
    does not become clear from a photograph. In the case of the
    Shuri Castle reconstruction, I am restored to the original
    state based on excavated tile and documents document.
    Because I was in danger of a save state collapsing to a head
    badly in Shuri Castle at the beginning of 1900's, the
    dismantling of Shuri Castle main shrine was decided, but save
    exercise worked, and repair of a main shrine began in 1923.
    However, it is destroyed in 1945 by an air raid of U.S. forces.
    A line of a roof of a main shrine seems to be different
    from now in one asked you a question in old days, but a main
    shrine changes by repair in 1923 now and is not. I change as
    of a thing of the thing which went bad, and there is not a
    main shrine before it either. A color of a main shrine is
    the same red now.
    Even if I make current Shuri Castle a model, and it is
    drawn, about prewar Shuri Castle, there is not a hindrance
    either. It is to say ". Would you have you understand such an
    answer? If you have any questions, I want to help it
    elsewhere. Then!
    Sincerely,
    ¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡¢¡
    ¢¢
    ¢£¢¢ Akira Tomiyama<tomiyaak@pref.okinawa.jp>
    ¢£¢£¢¢ Okinawa Prefectural Government, JAPAN
    ¢£¢£¢£¢¢ TEL +81(98)866-2503 / FAX +81(98)866-2455
    Michael Philippus

    Talk is cheap because supply exceeds demand.

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    Default New Letter

    Dear Michael H. Philippus

    Moreover, I am sorry to have taken time.

    I asked our various sections, and though it was
    regrettable,
    I was not able to get the drawing on construction from the
    problem of copyright.

    But, there was a result just for a moment.Two facts became
    clear.

    The first fact is that the upper right photograph which wa
    gotten from you is not the Shuri castle clearly.

    This seems to be an another building called "Bu-toku-den"
    and is said that this existed till recently.

    The second is that it seems that a lower right photograph
    was colored what was a black-and-white picture later.

    However, although it is red about the color of a tile now,
    according to testimony of a man of those days,
    there is also an opinion of a gray tile.

    It is related and this photograph differs from the thing of
    the present [ direction / the dragon which is decoration of
    an entrance ].

    It means that after all, it hardly changes to the thing
    from 1923 even if you draw the present Shuri castle.

    Finally, since I think that the useful information cannot
    be given to you any more,
    if you have any other questions ,I recommend contacting to
    the Shuri castle park
    (mail
    address:http://www.shurijo.com/english/inquiry/index.html).

    Sincerely,
    =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
    =-=
    =-=-= Akira Tomiyama<tomiyaak@pref.okinawa.lg.jp>
    =-=-=-= Okinawa Prefectural Government, JAPAN





    The picture he is talking about is this one

    it is NOT the Shurijo.
    Last edited by Texasmic; 27th June 2006 at 15:26. Reason: ad pic
    Michael Philippus

    Talk is cheap because supply exceeds demand.

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    Default ?

    I have seen that photo several times and at first I thought it was the Naha Police Dojo. Not sure what the real name for it was but I think it was the Martial Arts Academy or the like. While I am not sure it is I wonder if it is not then dosn anyone have a photo of the Naha Police Dojo?

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    Speaking of Shuri Castle; I ran across this gentleman of some importance to the Okinawan Karate folks. Anybody recognize him and could tell me more about him?
    http://gallery.me.com/gdandscompserv#100033
    Ricky Wood

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