A fire drill has been held at a castle in Okinawa Prefecture, southern Japan, exactly two years after a devastating blaze there.
The fire in 2019 burned down Shuri Castle’s six main buildings, including the main hall, and consumed many artifacts.
The drill started before dawn on Sunday and included about 250 firefighters and officials of the castle’s administrative foundation.
Based on a scenario that a fire broke out at one of the buildings, an official immediately alerted the fire department and started spraying water from a fire hydrant.
Firefighters who arrived on the scene then carried hoses on a cart inside the castle walls.
The drill also included evacuating visitors and rescuing people injured in the fire.
The fire two years ago burned nearly 400 of the over 1,500 artifacts held at the castle.
The administrative foundation says many items that escaped the fire were also damaged by heat and water. Officials say it will take nearly 30 years to finish fixing more than 360 items that require repair.
The Japanese government aims to have the castle’s main hall rebuilt by 2026.
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