Over $3Mln Raised In 6 Days To Rebuild Shuri Castle In Japan After Fire - Reports

Over $3 million has been donated in just six days to help rebuild World Heritage-listed Shuri Castle in Japan's Okinawa Prefecture after it was destroyed by a fire, the NHK broadcaster reported on Wednesday

TOKYO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th November, 2019) Over $3 million has been donated in just six days to help rebuild World Heritage-listed Shuri Castle in Japan's Okinawa Prefecture after it was destroyed by a fire, the NHK broadcaster reported on Wednesday.

A fundraising campaign was set up by the authorities of Naha, the prefecture's administrative capital, on November 1. The first $1 million was raised in three days. So far, 25,000 people have donated to the campaign, which will last until next spring.

Last week, a large fire erupted in Shuri Castle � which was registered as Japan's 11th UNESCO World Heritage site in 2000 � destroying much of the castle's structure, including the main building.

The cause of the blaze is still unclear, but according to fire department officials, the fire was unlikely the result of arson.

The castle was the royal residence during the Ryukyu Kingdom era. The exact year if its construction is unknown. The castle was previously rebuilt by order of the government after it was destroyed during World War II in 1945.