Every night, Naha’s most iconic castle gets illuminated after sunset, making its distinctive red colour even more striking.

Going to see Shuri Castle in the evening is a great way to beat the relentless heat of summer. Nowadays the sun doesn’t set until almost 8pm, so we got there around 7.30 and were pleasantly surprised to also find that there was almost nobody there. It was such a pleasure to be able to stroll around at our own pace, and take pictures that didn’t include the back of Chinese tourists’ heads.

Take note – some of the castle gates close at 8.30 or 9pm, but the iconic Shureimon main gate remains open. We had parked at the official castle parking lot, but that is only open until 9pm. If you want to stay longer to walk around or take pictures, I’d recommend parking at one of the many 24 hour coin parking lots, close to the castle entrance, and then walking to the castle grounds.