What are the check-in and check-out times?

Check-in is from 3:00 PM and check-out is by 11:00 AM.

Is late-night check-in available?

Yes. We use a smart lock for self check-in, so you can enter anytime 24 hours a day.

Is parking available?

We do not have a private parking lot. There are several coin-operated parking lots within walking distance.

Can I leave my luggage before check-in?

Luggage can be left in your room from 11:00 AM onward. Please contact us in advance via message if you wish to do so. Please note that luggage storage after check-out is not available.

Is each floor a separate private space?

Yes. Each floor is a completely private space with its own kitchen, shower room, and toilet. The 1st floor has 1 shower room and 1 toilet; the 2nd and 3rd floors each have 2 shower rooms and 2 toilets. There are no shared spaces with other guests.

Is this a minpaku (private lodging)?

No — SUNZ ROOMS is a fully licensed accommodation under the Japanese Hotel Business Act (Ryokan Gyoho), not a minpaku under the Private Lodging Business Act. We operate year-round with no day limits, combining the freedom of a condominium-style stay — including smart self check-in — with the reliability of a licensed property.

The building has 3 floors — is there an elevator?

There is no elevator. Access to each floor is by stairs only, so please keep this in mind when booking.

Can I cook? Are there cooking utensils?

Yes. We provide a frying pan, pot, microwave, and basic tableware. You can buy ingredients at nearby supermarkets and enjoy cooking.

Is the washing machine free to use? Is detergent provided?

Yes. Each floor is equipped with a free washer, dryer, and laundry detergent.

How many towels are provided?

We provide one set per guest: a bath towel, face towel, and body sponge. Only one set is provided even for multi-night stays, so please make use of the washer and dryer on each floor.

Are pajamas provided?

Pajamas are not provided. We kindly ask that you bring your own.

Are there shops nearby for groceries?

There is a 24-hour convenience store within a 1-minute walk.

Is smoking allowed indoors?

Smoking is strictly prohibited indoors, including e-cigarettes. A designated smoking area is available at the back of the ground floor.

Shuri Castle Reservations 2026 — Booking the Seiden and What Needs No Booking

The Seiden, the main hall of Shuri Castle lost to fire in 2019, opens to the public on 23 November 2026. From that same day, admission prices change and an advance booking system begins. The worry this creates is understandable: if you cannot get a reservation, are you locked out of Shuri Castle? The short answer is no. A booking is needed only to go inside the Seiden. The rest of the paid zone, and the free zone around Shureimon Gate, stay open without one — the park even sells a ticket type described as admission without a Seiden interior reservation. This guide covers what changes on 23 November, when and how to book a Seiden slot, and how to spend the day if you do not have one.

Booking Shuri Castle, and what changes in November 2026

1. Three things that change on 23 November 2026

Three things change. The first is the opening of the Seiden. Seven years after the fire of October 2019, visitors will be able to step inside the reconstructed main hall. An opening ceremony is planned for 23 November, announced on the official commemorative site. The start time for public entry that day had not been published when this article was written. The second is the change in admission prices. For entries from 23 November onward, individual rates are 1,000 yen for adults, 760 yen for high school students and 370 yen for elementary and junior high students (under-6s free). Groups of 20 or more pay 800, 610 and 300 yen. That is more than double the previous 400 yen adult rate, but it now covers going inside the Seiden. Annual passports are repriced at the same time. The third is the advance booking system, and it is the change travelers find hardest to read. The next section takes it apart.

2. The reservation covers the Seiden interior and nothing else

Shuri Castle Park is split into a free zone and a paid zone, and the area around Shureimon Gate costs nothing to walk. Under the system starting 23 November, a booking is required only for viewing the interior of the Seiden. The official site puts it plainly: facilities in the paid zone other than the Seiden interior can be entered and viewed without a reservation, exactly as before. In fact the park sells a ticket described as admission without a Seiden interior reservation. That ticket needs no time slot, and it lets you wander the Una courtyard and the castle-wall lookouts freely. Walking only the free zone needs no booking either. So "we could not get a reservation, so we cannot visit Shuri Castle" is not a real situation. What you missed is the right to step inside the Seiden, not the castle itself. Understanding that makes the itinerary far easier to build. Note that annual passport holders also need a reservation for the Seiden interior.

3. How to book — first-come for individuals, a lottery for groups

Seiden interior slots are bought online through the park's ticket page. You choose a 30-minute time slot; finer timing is not offered. One payment covers up to nine tickets. As of August 2026 the sales page is still being prepared and goes live for the launch. When slots are released depends on your entry date. Entries from 23 November to 31 December come out in two waves: the first at 1:00 PM on Tuesday 1 September, the second at 1:00 PM on Thursday 1 October. For entries from 1 January 2027 onward, slots open at 1:00 PM on the 1st of the month two months before your visit — 1 November for a January visit, 1 December for February. If you miss out, same-day tickets are sold online and at the Kofukumon ticket office up to 15 minutes before the entry slot, when space remains. When it is full, it is full. The trap worth naming: individuals are served first-come, while groups of 20 or more go through a lottery. Group applications are collected over a window and then ordered by a randomly assigned number — the January group window, for instance, runs 1 to 7 September. Read that "1–7 September" as an individual deadline and you will miss the first-come release. Individuals have no deadline; all that matters is being ready at 1:00 PM.

4. Managing the crowds — entry numbers are capped

The booking system exists because entry numbers are capped for safety. Which means the Seiden interior is no longer somewhere you drift into whenever you like. If it is full there are no same-day tickets, and missing your slot may cost you the entry. When planning, fix the Seiden slot first and build the rest of the day around it. Mornings are the sweet spot for everything else. The paid zone opens at 8:30 AM, closing at 7:00 PM from April to November and 6:00 PM from December to March (as of August 2026). Between 8:30 and 9:30, before the tour groups arrive, the Una courtyard is quiet enough to take your time. The Seiden slot remains separate, though. Seasonally, the New Year period fills up across Naha. Accommodation and transport both cost more then, so it is worth reading how to avoid the peak-season crush alongside this.

5. What to do on a day without a reservation

Shuri Castle rewards a visit with or without a Seiden slot. You can walk the free zone through Shureimon and Kankaimon gates, and from the paid zone look out over Naha from the Una courtyard and the castle-wall lookouts. The Seiden is visible from outside even when you cannot go in. For a proper tour of the highlights, see our guide to reaching and exploring Shuri Castle. There is also a way to spend less. Showing a Yui Rail 1-day or 2-day pass at the ticket window gets you a discount on admission — currently the 400 yen adult rate drops to 320 yen (as of August 2026). How that discount will be handled after the 23 November price change has not been announced, so if you plan to use a pass, check the official Shuri Castle Park site before you go. Since almost everyone rides the monorail up to Shuri, it pairs well with knowing how the free passes work. From SUNZ ROOMS Naha Miebashi, Miebashi Station puts you on a single monorail line straight to Shuri Station. Leave on an early run and you will make the 8:30 opening; and if the only Seiden slot you could get is in the afternoon, you can cover the free and paid zones in the morning and go inside later.

Summary

23 November 2026 closes a seven-year chapter of reconstruction for Shuri Castle. Stepping inside the Seiden is a rare thing to be able to do, but not getting a slot is no reason to drop the castle from your plans. The reservation covers the Seiden interior; everything else is walkable as it always was. Two things matter when you plan. Work backwards from your entry date to the release date, and remember that individuals are first-come while groups go to a lottery. For a New Year visit that means 1:00 PM on 1 September or 1 October; for spring 2027, 1:00 PM on the 1st of the month two months ahead. Worth putting in the calendar.

SUNZ ROOMS is a private condominium just a 1-minute walk from Miebashi Station. Shuri Castle is a single monorail ride away, close enough to make the morning opening. Each floor is self-contained with its own kitchen and shower room, so groups and families can use the place like a house of their own.

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