PHOTOS: Shuri Castle in Japan Burns Down

The Japanese government intends to restore Shuri Castle, located in Okinawa Prefecture, which suffered extensive damage from a fire just yesterday.

This was announced during a press conference by Yoshihide Suga, the Chief Secretary of the Japanese government, as reported by ria.ru. "This incident causes us deep sorrow. The government will spare no effort in its restoration," he emphasized.

The massive fire broke out on Thursday at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Shuri Castle, completely destroying seven buildings, including the main structure of the complex. The fire ignited at around 2:40 AM local time, and firefighters believe it likely started in the main building of the castle.

Shuri Castle, located in the southern Okinawa Prefecture of Japan, served as the residence of monarchs during the Ryukyu Kingdom. The exact date of the castle's construction is unknown. The total area of the complex is 46.17 thousand square meters.

The castle was devastated by U.S. aviation in 1945 but was rebuilt and reopened to the public in 1992. In 2000, Shuri Castle was included in UNESCO's World Heritage list.