Nipponica

The terraces of the uniquely designed Nago City Hall in the southernmost Japan prefecture of Okinawa provides locals with places to relax around-the-clock.

The building is inspired by "kami-asagi," small huts used for rituals in the northern parts of Okinawa's mainland. Constructed from reinforced concrete, the three-story building features "asagi terraces" on each floor, resembling eaves that shield against Okinawa's intense sunlight. These terraces are accessible at all times, including holidays and at night, serving as communal gathering places for residents.

I've only seen this in person a couple times as I passed through Nago but it is quite the sight. It looked like some kind of ancient temple and only later I found out it was a government building. Hope it gets the attention it deserves.

The exterior of Shuri-jo Castle's main hall stands reborn once more with reconstruction complete and reporters visiting the historic space here on Aug. 6.

The castle is in the process of being rebuilt after being destroyed in a 2019 fire. The Seiden main hall's roof lined with red tiles unique to Okinawa Prefecture, vermilion pillars and vibrant ornamentations have all been restored.

It feels so good to see Shuri-Jo back again. I first visited it in 2016 during my first trip to Okinawa and was devastated to see it destroyed in 2019. When I lived and worked in Okinawa over the past few years, it was slowly being rebuilt. Ready to book a return trip to Ryukyu to see it in its full glory again.