[Shurijo Castle Park] [Held on July 12] On the year of the Shurijo Castle Main Hall's completion, new King and Queen will be born! "FY Reiwa 8 King and Queen Selection Competition" to be held with public viewing!

The Shurijo Castle Festival Executive Committee will hold the "FY Reiwa 8 King and Queen Selection Competition" on Sunday, July 12, Reiwa 8, at Times Hall (3F of The Okinawa Times). This year marks a major milestone in reconstruction with the completion of the Shurijo Castle Main Hall. In this competition to select the new King and Queen symbolizing that reconstruction, 10 finalists (5 King candidates and 5 Queen candidates) who passed the first document screening will present their final pitches from among 148 applicants, far exceeding last year's number of applicants. In addition, the competition will be MC'd by the comedy duo "Garage Sale," and will feature a special talk show by past Kings and Queens, as well as a "Shurijo Castle History Quiz Competition" in which visitors can participate. The event is packed with enjoyable elements that will liven up the entire venue. The new King and Queen selected in this competition are scheduled to participate in promotional activities and related events for Shurijo Castle reconstruction and Okinawa tourism promotion, both within and outside the prefecture, from August Reiwa 8 to July Reiwa 9, in addition to the "Shurijo Castle Reconstruction Festival" and "New Year's Banquet."

Event Outline

Date and Time

Sunday, July 12, 2026, 13:00-16:00 (Doors open 12:30)

Venue

Times Hall (3F of The Okinawa Times), 2-2-2 Kumoji, Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture

Admission

Free (250 seats available on a first-come, first-served basis)

MC

Sugiko Moromisato, Garage Sale

Organizer

Shurijo Castle Festival Executive Committee

Highlights of this Competition

Highlight 1

Public Final Judging by 10 Finalists

Candidates who passed the first document screening will present their thoughts and pitches at the venue.

Highlight 2

The Moment the New King and Queen are Born

You can witness the selection of the new King and Queen, who will symbolize the reconstruction of Shurijo Castle, at the venue.

Highlight 3

Talk Show by Past Kings and Queens

Together with Garage Sale, they will talk about their memories during their activities and their thoughts on the Shurijo Castle Festival.

Highlight 4

Participatory Shurijo Castle History Quiz Competition

You can learn about the history of Shurijo Castle and its reconstruction journey through a quiz that can be participated in via smartphone.

Program

12:30

Doors Open

13:00

Final Pitch Judging by 10 Finalists of the FY Reiwa 8 King and Queen Selection Competition

14:00

Special Project 1 Garage Sale × Past Kings and Queens Talk Show

14:50

Announcement of New King and Queen Birth FY Reiwa 8 King and Queen Selected

15:10

Special Project 2 Let's All Challenge! Shurijo Castle History Quiz Competition

15:40

Certificate Award Ceremony & Commemorative Photo Awarding of certificates by the Chairman of the Shurijo Castle Festival Executive Committee (Kakaru Chinen, Mayor of Naha City)

*Times may vary depending on the progress of the program. Please understand this in advance.

Special Project 1

Garage Sale × Past Kings and Queens Special Talk Show

While waiting for the judging results, a special talk show will be held by past Kings and Queens who have graced the Shurijo Castle Festival. Together with Garage Sale, they will cheerfully share stories about why they applied, their memories during their activities, and their thoughts on the Shurijo Castle Festival. Please enjoy episodes that can only be heard here.

Special Project 2

Let's All Challenge! Shurijo Castle History Quiz Competition

You can participate in a quiz about the history of Shurijo Castle and its reconstruction journey using your smartphone. This is a participatory event where you can learn about the charm of Shurijo Castle with fun explanations from Garage Sale and curators.

[Shurijo Castle Park]

Shurijo Castle is the history of the Ryukyu Kingdom, which flourished for about 450 years from 1429 to 1879.

Currently, with the theme of "visible reconstruction," we are disseminating the charm of Shurijo Castle, which is undergoing restoration, presenting exhibits based on historical facts through research and investigation, and holding events where visitors can experience traditional performing arts and culture.

Furthermore, we will connect the future of Shurijo Castle to the next generation through the establishment of a safe and secure management system, sustainable town development in collaboration with the community, and the inheritance of history and culture and human resource development.