Restoration work has begun in Japan's southern prefecture of Okinawa to place tiles on the roof of the main hall at Shuri Castle. The building was destroyed in a fire in 2019 and is now being rebuilt.

The site is surrounded by scaffolding and a temporary roof, to protect it from wind and rain. The frame of the structure was completed last December.

In May this year, a ceremony to pray for safety during the reconstruction was held after part of the roof was finished.

Craftspeople have now started laying tiles, which are made from mudstone and red clay sourced from the prefecture.

Carpenters plan to cover the roof with about 60,000 tiles by the end of this year. The reconstruction of the main hall is scheduled to be completed by autumn of 2026.