Crowdfunding drive to help rebuild Shuri Castle in Naha raises over ¥230 million www.japantimes.co.jp

Funds totaling more than ¥230 million have been donated by more than 16,500 people to a crowdfunding campaign set up by the city of Naha, in Okinawa Prefecture, to help rebuild Shuri Castle, which was destroyed by fire last week.
The campaign, set up Friday by Naha Municipal Government, received more than ¥100 million in donations in its first two days alone, Naha Mayor Mikiko Shiroma said in a statement released Sunday, meeting the threshold it had set as its initial fundraising goal.
Large parts of the castle, which is an important symbol for many in Okinawa Prefecture and a popular tourist attraction, were burned down in a fire early Thursday morning.
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the blaze and investigators said police do not believe the fire was caused by arson.
Underground ruins of the original castle were registered as a part of Japan’s 11th UNESCO World Heritage site in 2000.