Shuri Castle's Rebuilt Main Hall Opens Nov 23, 2026: Timed Seiden Tickets, the New 1,000 Yen Fee and When January Slots Go on Sale

Shuri Castle's main hall, the Seiden, burned down in October 2019. The rebuilt hall opens to the public on Monday, November 23, 2026, a national holiday in Japan. Seeing the inside takes a timed reservation, and on the same day the park's admission fee rises from 400 yen to 1,000 yen for adults. This guide sets out what the official Shuri Castle Park pages say, in the order you need it.

DOJI is an independent travel publication. We have no business relationship with Shuri Castle Park, its operator or its ticket sellers, and this guide is not endorsed by any of them. Everything below comes from the official Shuri Castle Park website, checked on November 1, 2026 (Eastern time). Times are Japan time (JST) unless we say otherwise. Rules can change, so check the official pages again before you go.

The short version

• Opening: the Seiden opens to the public on November 23, 2026 at 12:00 noon JST. That is 10:00 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, November 22.
• Closed the day before: the whole park, including the paid area, is closed all day on November 22 for the completion ceremony.
• Opening morning: on November 23 the free area inside the castle walls opens at 11:15 and the paid area opens at 12:00, after an invitation-only opening ceremony.
• Reservation: to go inside the Seiden you need an "Admission Ticket (with Seiden Interior Viewing Reservation)", booked for a 30-minute time slot. The time slot costs nothing extra.
• New fee: from November 23 entries, adult admission to the paid area is 1,000 yen, up from 400 yen. The fee is the same whether or not you go inside the Seiden.
• When tickets go on sale: for visits from January 1, 2027, tickets go on sale at 1:00 p.m. JST on the 1st of the month, two months ahead. January slots went on sale on November 1, and February slots go on sale on December 1.

Admission fees from November 23, 2026

Individual tickets (groups of 1 to 19), tax included:

• Groups of 20 or more pay 800, 610 and 300 yen.
• The general annual pass becomes 2,000 yen for adults.
• Okinawa residents aged 70 and over, and holders of a disability certificate, get in free.

When Seiden time slots go on sale

Seiden tickets are sold first come, first served through the park's official ticket site (Webket), which is linked from the reservation page. The rule for visits from January 2027 onward is the 1st of the month, two months before your visit, at 1:00 p.m. JST.

Slots for November 23 to December 31, 2026 were sold in two rounds, on September 1 and October 1. The official pages do not say how many slots are left for those dates. If you want to visit then, check the ticket site directly.

How the timed ticket works

• Limit: up to 9 tickets per payment.
• Who needs one: everyone who wants to see the inside, including visitors who get in free and annual pass holders. Preschool children do not need a reservation.
• Same day: if slots are left, you can buy online until 15 minutes before your slot, or at the Koufukumon ticket office.
• On the day: show your QR code at the Houshinmon gate to enter the paid area, then join the Seiden line during your 30-minute slot.
• Late slots: for the last slot of the day, you must pass Houshinmon by the end of the slot and enter the Seiden within 10 minutes after that. The last slot is 18:00 to 18:29 until the end of November, and 17:00 to 17:29 from December to March.
• Shoes: the park's reservation guidance says shoes come off inside the Seiden and asks visitors to bring a shoe bag.

Changes and refunds

These only apply to tickets bought on the official ticket site:

• Seiden tickets: you can change the date or time up to the day before, but not on the day itself. Refunds are possible up to two days before.
• Admission without a Seiden reservation: you can change the date or get a refund up to the day of use.

No Seiden slot? You can still visit

A second ticket, the "Admission Ticket (No Seiden Interior Viewing Reservation)", needs no time slot.

• It covers the paid area except the inside of the Seiden, including views of the Seiden's exterior from the observation deck and the reconstruction exhibition room.
• It goes on sale one month before your visit date and can be bought until 15 minutes before final entry on the day.
• It costs the same as the Seiden ticket, because the fee is the same either way.
• If you bought this ticket by mistake, you can cancel it and book a Seiden ticket instead. You can also switch at the ticket office on the day if slots are left.

Groups

• Groups of 10 or more book Seiden visits by lottery, not first come, first served.
• From November 23 to December 6, 2026, the park is not taking advance group reservations for the inside of the Seiden. Groups may be shown in on the day if slots are free.
• Group bookings start again for visits from December 7.

If you are a family or a small group of friends, book individual tickets, up to 9 per payment.

Planning your visit

• Hours (paid area): 8:30 to 19:00 until the end of November, with last entry at 18:30. From December to March it is 8:30 to 18:00, with last entry at 17:30.
• How long: the park estimates 90 to 120 minutes from Suimuikan, the visitor centre, through the Seiden and back. About 15 minutes of that is inside the Seiden.
• Which slot to pick: if you come by monorail, the park suggests booking a slot 40 to 50 minutes after you arrive at Shuri Station. The walk from the station to Suimuikan alone is about 20 minutes. Driving is discouraged because the nearby roads are expected to be congested.
• Quieter times: the park's forecast marks 8:30 to 11:00 as very crowded. Noon to 14:00 and after 17:00 are less crowded.

What we could not confirm

• Paying with a non-Japanese card: the official pages do not say whether the ticket site accepts cards issued outside Japan. Have a backup card ready, and expect an extra security check from your bank.
• Ticket site language: we could not load the ticket site from outside Japan, so we cannot say whether it works in English. On October 9 the park also posted a notice that its foreign-language pages were temporarily unavailable. The English reservation page was loading when we checked.
• How many slots are left: the official pages do not say how many slots remain for any date.

Checklist

• [ ] Do not plan to visit on November 22, when the park is closed all day.
• [ ] On November 23, the Seiden opens at noon, not in the morning.
• [ ] For January, book now. For February, set a reminder for 11:00 p.m. Eastern on November 30.
• [ ] Book one Seiden ticket per person. Preschool children do not need one.
• [ ] Choose a slot that leaves 40 to 50 minutes from Shuri Station.
• [ ] Bring a shoe bag.
• [ ] If you miss out, buy the ticket without a Seiden reservation and see the exterior and exhibits instead.

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Sources

• Shuri Castle Park — Main Hall (Seiden) Interior Viewing Reservation (English): fees, the two ticket types, no extra charge for time slots, sales schedule, same-day purchase, changes and refunds, group lottery and the Nov 23–Dec 6 pause, visit times and crowd forecast, shoe bag. Checked 2026-11-01.
• Shuri Castle Park — Fee revision and advance reservations for the Seiden opening (Jul 31, 2026, Japanese): opening Nov 23, 30-minute timed slots, new fees, 9 tickets per payment, sales rule from January 2027, group schedule. Checked 2026-11-01.
• Shuri Castle Park — Temporary closure on Nov 22 (all day) and Nov 23 (morning) (Sep 28, 2026, Japanese): whole park closed Nov 22; free area opens 11:15 and paid area 12:00 on Nov 23; Seiden public opening at noon. Checked 2026-11-01.
• Shuri Castle Park — Opening hours (Japanese): seasonal hours and last entry. Checked 2026-11-01.
• Shuri Castle Park — Admission fees (Japanese): current fees until Nov 21, 2026. Checked 2026-11-01.
• Shuri Castle Park — FAQ (Japanese): noon opening on Nov 23, same-day tickets only if slots remain. Checked 2026-11-01.

Cover photo: Shureimon, the gate on the approach to Shuri Castle in Naha, Okinawa. Photo by Sho K via Unsplash.