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Dinner reception for G8 leaders at Shuri Castle
Updated July 23. 13:00
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori and his wife hosted a dinner reception for the G8 leaders at Shuri Castle in Naha, and for the residents of Shuri, this event couldn't have been more welcome. In fact, soon after Okinawa was selected as the Summit venue, Shuri residents along with everyone else in Naha began preparing in earnest to welcome the G8 leaders and ensure the success of the Summit. With their thoughts turned toward beautifying the city, the people enthusiastically joined together to clean and spruce up their surroundings.
Ms. Yasuko Onaga, a Naha City resident born in the Shuri area, summed up the sentiments of the people in Shuri when she said, "Most Shuri residents are descendants of the Ryukyuan samurai class. Hosting the G8 Summit in Okinawa and having the VIPs from the eight major industrial nations at Shuri Castle is a good opportunity for us to pass on to the world our love for peace and friendship, in the same way that these have been passed down to us by our parents and grandparents."
Shuri Castle has always held a special place in the hearts of the people living in Shuri, probably more so than anyone in Okinawa. As a gesture of welcome to the Summit leaders, they have opened wide the gates of Shuri Castle, proud that this symbol of Ryukyu culture - which once held court to distinguished emissaries from other countries - has once again, after the passage of centuries, played an active part in Okinawan history.
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