Generations come and go, but the history of this gate, which played an important role when it came time for a new king to ascend the throne, lives on. When the previous king passed away, his successor would cross this gate and ascend to the castle. It’s said that the last king of the Ryukyuan Kingdom also passed through Keisei-mon when vacating Shuri-jo Castle by order of the Meiji government. As Japan opened its borders and entered the Meiji Restoration, feudal domains were abolished, and the Ryukyuan Kingdom was swept away by the currents of history, integrating with mainland Japan as the new prefecture of Okinawa.
What happened to Shuri-jo after the integration of the Kingdom? Having lost its purpose as a royal palace, it became a garrison for the Meiji government’s army for some time, and afterwards was temporarily used as a vocational school complex, including an elementary school. However, the structures and remains were in ruin, and during the Taishō Period the government moved to demolish it. Researchers of Ryukyuan culture learned this news three days before the scheduled demolition, and frantically appealed to the government for the Castle’s preservation. The demolition was halted just in the nick of time, the Castle was recognized as a pre-War National Treasure, and restoration efforts began.
However, during the Pacific War, the castle was used as an underground headquarters for the Okinawan defense, and was heavily bombarded by the US military. Shuri-jo Castle was left decimated. After Japan’s defeat in WWII, the Ryukyu University campus was built over the castle’s ruins under the Allied Forces. Once the United States ceded Okinawa back to Japan, a large-scale restoration of Shuri-jo Castle began after Ryukyu University was relocated.
Actually, during the era of the Ryukyuan Kingdom Shuri-jo Castle was destroyed and rebuilt three times and its appearance has changed over time. From the Ryukyuan Era rebuilds, to a garrison. From an elementary school, to a National Treasure. From an army headquarters, to a university campus - it has been a long road to the current incarnation of Shuri-jo Castle.
