Himeji Castle

Himeji Castle is a hilltop Japanese castle in Hyōgo Prefecture, renowned for its white-plastered defenses and largely original early-modern structures.

Japanese castle: A fortified residence and military stronghold built by Japanese rulers, especially during the medieval and early-modern periods. Himeji is a major surviving example of this architectural form.
Akamatsu Norimura: A fourteenth-century Japanese warrior who established a fortification on Himeyama, the hill occupied by Himeji Castle. His hilltop fortification marks the site’s early military origins.
National Treasures of Japan: A designation for cultural properties of exceptional national importance in Japan. Himeji’s principal structures were designated National Treasures in 1931.
Himeji Castle keep: The main tower complex of Himeji Castle, comprising a central keep and three smaller connected keeps. Its linked towers form the castle’s most recognizable architectural group.
Tenshu: The principal tower of a Japanese castle, serving as a landmark and symbol of its lord’s authority. Himeji’s central keep anchors its defensive and visual composition.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi: A Japanese warlord who unified much of Japan in the late sixteenth century and became its ruler. Hideyoshi enlarged the hilltop stronghold before the castle’s major redesign.
UNESCO World Heritage Site: A place inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List for its recognized cultural or natural significance. Himeji entered the list in 1993 for its architectural and historical value.
Himeji Castle gates: The gates and gate complexes controlling passage through Himeji Castle’s enclosures. Their sequence demonstrates how the route to the keep was deliberately constrained.
Bailey: An enclosed area within a castle, often separated from other enclosures by walls, gates, or moats. Himeji’s multiple baileys force attackers through successive controlled spaces.
Ikeda Terumasa: A Japanese daimyo who ruled Himeji and rebuilt its castle on a grand scale in the early seventeenth century. His construction campaign created much of the present castle complex.

Linked from 3 pages

Chūgoku regionCompared with: Its location just beyond the region’s eastern edge clarifies Chūgoku’s boundary with Kansai.