Police do not believe the fire that destroyed Shuri Castle, a symbol of Okinawa and a World Heritage site, was caused by arson, investigators said.
In analyzing the evidence, including security camera footage at the gutted site, police have found no traces of intrusion into the castle ahead of the fire breaking out, they said Friday.
Okinawa Churashima Foundation, which manages the castle, told a news conference on Friday that a security guard conducted a routine patrol inside the Seiden main building about an hour before the fire broke out and found nothing amiss at the time, the foundation said.