Himeji Castle

Himeji Castle is listed in the Japanese city of Hyogo. It was built in the XV century by the Norimura Akamatsu dynasty and is one of the oldest castles in Japan, as well as the most popular among tourists. It has been listed in UNESCO registers since 1993.

Japanese buildings stand out for their design approach. But grandeur and beauty are not the main objective of the castle. The most important purpose of such buildings in Japan is, first of all, to perform a protective function. The castle is made impregnable by moats with river water, embankments that surround it, as well as a powerful stone base of the walls. There are many secret passages and intricate mazes hidden here. And the walls themselves, of such an unusual design, rise sharply upwards, where they turn outwards, due to which it is simply not realistic to climb them. The basis of the defense was the archers, who cut off the attackers through specially designed cutouts in the walls (ya-dzama). The main tower was defended by dropping stones down.

Considering the fact that Himeji Castle has wooden walls, it has been preserved unchanged. Although wars often broke out between the dynasties in those days, Himeji was spared all bad weather.

The castle is made very elegant and attractive by the color of its walls, which are painted white. Due to the snow-white color, which also strengthens the walls with a roof, this building has a second name - "the castle of the White Heron". The castle grounds are surrounded by several towers, a protective wall, ditches filled with water, as well as gates and lush greenery. This whole, unusually beautiful, ensemble occupies 22 hectares.

Himeji Castle began to be built in the middle of the 14th century near Mount Hime. The castle's architecture served as an example for many castles in Japan. The original structure of the castle, made in 1333-1345, changed hands many times during the internecine wars, during which it was badly battered. In 1601-1609, the castle was rebuilt and acquired its current appearance. A seven-tiered main tower, the tenshu, and a number of other buildings were built, and a huge garden was laid out in the form of a spiral with dead ends, in which enemies were supposed to get lost, and archers would shoot them from the towers. But the militant times have passed and it was not possible to test the actions of the labyrinth in practice. In 1871, the White Heron Castle was confiscated and it was auctioned off for 23 yen. During the Second World War, the area next to the castle was repeatedly bombed, but the castle itself was hardly damaged.

Himeji Castle, along with its rich territory, was filmed in famous films: "Shadow of a Warrior", "The Last Samurai" and others. It is best to visit the White Heron Castle in April. At this time, all the beauty of this complex opens up, thanks to the cherry blossoms blooming at this time. This unusual beauty of the landscape fascinates even seasoned travelers.

It is not difficult to get to this landmark by taking the express train from Tokyo. It will take you 4 hours to get there.