Of the twelve original Japanese castles, Himeji is considered the grandest and most beautiful.
If you have ever spent any time reading about Japan, or even just looked at a tourism guide about the country, you have likely seen the beautiful bright white Japanese castle that often adorns Japan’s promotional literature. That brilliant white castle’s name is Himeji, and it is considered by many to be the most beautiful castle – structure even – in all of Japan. This stunning castle also has a rich story related to some of the most important figures in Japanese history and has survived disasters both natural and manmade throughout the centuries it has existed.
The keep of Himeji Castle seen over the walls of the inner bailey. At peak times, the castle can become very crowded with visitors, so clear routes are marked throughout the park. When you visit, I would suggest getting to the castle early.
The city of Himeji dates back to the seventh century as the capital of the ancient Harima province in modern day Hyogo prefecture. Originally, the city lacked significant fortifications, but in 1333 a small fort was built on a nearby hill called Himeyama by the lord of Harima, Akamatsu Norimura. Nomiyura had just backed the rebellious Emperor Go-Daigo in his bid to wrestle political control of Japan away from the Hojo backed first Shogunate in Kamakura. Norimura’s son eventually remodeled the small fort, adding a keep and calling it Himeyama Castle. In 1545, Harima province was passed to the Kuroda clan who remodeled the castle yet further. They also renamed the castle Himeji. They weren’t around long before the castle was passed to Hideyoshi Toyotomi, future ruler of all Japan, who expanded the castle even more. The castle then changed hands a few more times before, in 1601, new Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu gave Himeji to Ikeda Terumasa, his son-in-law and one of his most trusted generals. Terumasa destroyed the existing castle and built the grand keep, buildings, walls, and grounds that exist today.
The Himeji Castle complex viewed from the outer bailey. The palace and buildings that would have been here were replaced by a military parade ground by the Imperial Army.
Throughout the Edo period, the castle continued in peace, changing hands only a couple times as families died out and were replaced by distant related clans. Finally, when the Edo Shogunate gave way to the Imperial Meiji government and the castles were being torn down and sold for scrap, Himeji castle was simply abandoned. But that was only the beginning of Himeji Castle’s trials in the modern era. Soon after being abandoned, the Imperial Japanese Army tenth regiment moved in, removing several gates and walls to make way for military barracks. Meanwhile, in the outer third bailey, the prefectural government converted many of the high class samurai residences into government offices. There were plans to dismantle the keep and many of the other buildings in the process, as had been done at most other castles in Japan, but it was deemed too expensive. In 1898, the military expanded their presence in Himeji and took over the whole complex, adding and altering several buildings. A restoration was started in the late 1910s and 1920s by the military, but it rain out of funds before it could be finished. The outset of WWII canceled further restoration work.
This series of halls and turrets served as living quarters for servants and officials, and includes a special tower built for princess Sen (Senhime in Japanese), the granddaughter of Tokugawa Ieyasu. When Senhime was young, she was married to the son and heir of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Hidetori. When her father, second shogun Tokugawa Hidetada defeated the Toyotomi clan in 1615, Senhime’s father and young son were killed, leaving her a now childless widow. The following year she married a faithful Tokugawa ally, Honda Tadatoki who later became lord of Himeji. It is said that Senhime and Tadatoki truly loved each other, but after their son died in infancy and Tadatoki also died a few years later. Senhime cut her hair and joined a Buddhist convent, devoting the rest of her life to the temple.
WWII also nearly saw the end of Himeji Castle. Himeji city was heavily targeted by U.S. air raids in the last years of the war due to the city’s industrial capacity and the fact that the castle was being used as a military headquarters. Much of the city surrounding the castle was burned but the Himeji Castle itself remained intact. An American firebomb even hit the keep, crashing through the top floor and coming to rest deep inside the structure, but it was a dud and failed to explode. Post war, in the 1950s, a push was made to once again restore the castle, this time resulting in a full restoration through the 1950s and into the 1960s, continuing while the city as a whole was being rebuilt. More recently, the castle survived the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995. Many buildings throughout the city were badly damaged, but the castle stayed standing. In fact, it is said that a bottle of sake on an alter on the top floor was undisturbed.
Himeji Castle as seen at night.
Today, Himeji Castle is a recognized World Heritage Site and almost every structure is listed as a national treasure or important cultural asset by the Japanese government. This means that the castle is visited by thousands of people every day. And it is for an obvious reason. The castle is incredibly beautiful. It is huge. It is original. And it is the single greatest example of ancient Japanese architecture anywhere. It is an amazing place to visit, and if you visit Japan and don’t see Himeji, you are doing yourself a disservice. Himeji Castle has to be seen to be believed.
