The red tiles of Shurijo Castle that shine against the blue sky may perhaps be considered as one of the typical images of Okinawa.

About 400 to 500 years ago, wooden shingles covered the roofs of Shurijo Castle. In 1660, Shurijo Castle caught fire, and after it was rebuilt, the roofs were covered with clay tiles. However, it was reported that excavations revealed gray tiles rather than red ones. Red tiles were laid on Shurijo Castle’s roofs after it was burned again in another fire and rebuilt in 1715. Apparently, a population growth problem that occurred in the Ryukyus at that time was the reason that the color of the tiles changed from gray to red.

The population of the Ryukyus was approximately 100,000 people about 400 years ago. A century later, the population apparently increased to nearly 200,000. With regard to fire, which is indispensable now and then, the people used firewood for fuel, so if the population increased, firewood would be in shortage. High temperatures are required to bake the tiles to produce gray tiles, but red tiles can be produced at lower temperatures, thus requiring less firewood.

After saving on materials by using red roof tiles for Shurijo Castle, the Ryukyu Kingdom had trees planted in the Yanbaru region and tried to manage and protect the mountains in each village. The Ryukyuan people at that time were already aware of the importance of nature. I think it can be said that the red tiles of Shurijo Castle are one of the evidences supporting this view.

Tiled roofs were restricted to houses of the samurai class as well as houses and buildings that use fire such as potteries and breweries. Red tiles can be considered an energy-saving measure. （Mayumi Kuba）