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WorldCultural Heritage Site
~~~~~:National Treasure
Himeji Castle
Edited / Published: Himeji Castle Management Office
Second published onJanuary 15th, 2017
General Information
Hours of Operation
.Sep 1st - Apr 26th 9:00 -17:00 (The last admission is at 16:00)
.Apr 27th - Aug 31st 9:00 -18:00 , (The last admission is at 17:00)
Admission: Adult: Vl,OOO Child: V300 (from e!ementary school to high school students)
Closed on Dec 29th and 30th
Himeji Castle Management Office 68 Hommachi, Hirneji, Hyogo 670-0012 Tel: 079-285-1146
httpv/www.clty.himeji.lqjp/q Uidel castlel
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The Rebirth ofthe White Egret-like Main Keep
The impressive figure of the Main Keep covered with white plaster looks like
a white egret in flight. So it is also known as the White Egret Castle. 45 years
after "Shówa Era Restoration", .. Heisei Era Restoration" was carried out
lately for about 5 years to hand down its original shape and beauty.
The roofed scaffold struc- The special roof tile
ture protected Himeji plaster was used to
Castle from winds and rain resist the winds and
during the restoration. The swing.
real-size castle was drawn
on the mesh sheeting.
The walls of the entire buildings, including the
eaves, are completely covered with white plas-
ter, which is made from slaked lime, shell ash,
hemp fiber and seaweed. This is a very tradi-
tional method. About 3 cm`s thickness of the
wall protects the buildings from fires, winds, rain
and snow.
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Gegyo is a decorative device installed at the gable peak to
conceal the tip of the ridge beam and rafters. The photo •.
shows the resto red Kabura Gegyo (an ornament that resem-
bles a turnip) on the east and the west sides of the Main
Keep.
• Main construction
1I
111~ll.comp`ete roof tile replacement
• Fixing of roof tiles (reinforced with nails or ccpper wire)
• Complete replacementr 01 joint plaster
• Details of the Heisei EraRestoration
• 1st to 4th layers: Repainting
• 5th layer: Complete repair from the groundwork
• Edge of eaves, gab!es, ge9Yo (ornament 01 gables), and olher
components: Cover the surface or repair beginning with primary plaster
Rough soil is added
onto the mud wall and
fully dried.
• Repair ter the damaged floorboards and windows
• Reinforcement tor pillars ter earthquake proof
I~ .Height: 52 mArea: 45 m x 46 m
• 2.4 billion yen
-15.000
-2-
Roofing process on the
top roof
The plaster finish work
for the ornament at the
gable peak
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White Main Keep
Main Features of thelbeautiful
6th Floor
5th Floor
4th Floor
3rd Flool`
2nd FIoor
~
.`M6Mi_
The original sixth-ftoor plan
was changed during the con-
struction and the windows at
the tour corners were sealed.
-------_.
i`m`ii!tinlill
Each large pillar (east and
west) extends from the base-
ment up to the 5th floor beam.
High windows (smoke vents)
This high window allowed gun-
smoke to escape.
MII .•/wkit/wshi (warrior hiding places)
At tour corners ot the structure
is the space tor deploying war-
riors in ambush.
Haiu-no-Mo (gable room)
This is a space tor the attic
spanning the entrance 01 the
keep. One of the latticed wín-
dows can be opened.
1st Floor
Rokuyó-Kllgika/wsbi (six-petaled nail covers)
These decorative covers con-
ceal nail heads on nageshi
(beams connected to pillars).
Himeji Castle, Japan`s preeminent wooden structure,
is a building of unparalleled beauty. Seen from the
outside, the Main Keep appears to have five stories
but the interior reveals a 7-floored structure with 6
floors above and one in the basement.
Hidden features
Ossksbe- `úya Shrine
In the modern era, Shrine 01
Himeyama Hill was relocated
into the keep. During the Edo
period, it had been enshrined
atop a low hill near To Gate.
1."
Knots in the beams were
cut out and the holes
were filled with wooden
plugs 01 various shapes.
It is assumed that at the beginning of Edo
period the large pillar itselt began yielding to
the weight ot the building and other factors.
As the whole building was gradually leaning,
many supports were added to shore up the
structure.
Hidden features
Stone-throwíng platforms
The windows on the eastern and
western walls are located high, so
platfonms are installed to make use
01 the windows for monitoring and
shooting.
Numbers and letters are carved on
the ridgepoles. They indicate where
those pieces were to be used.
L:chi1JJl1l`O(Interior)
For higher-positioned windows, the
room is provided with stone-throwing
platforms on the north and south
sides.
The Main Keep contains many
weapon racks. They indicate the
keep was used as the weapon
stockroom.
Stone drops are located in 3 corners
on the 1st floor. These delensive
structures allow for throwing stones
and shooting at enemy soldiers. The keep has 4 doorways,
two 01 which are on the 1st
Iloor. Every doorway is
doubly protected with an
inner door and outer door.
Basement
••
While the specilic purpose of
this sink is unknown, the area
below the drainboard is
sloped toward the center.
Two toilets were provided in the
Main Keep. There is no indication
they were ever used.
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1333
A.D.
Akamatsu Norimura (Ensin) raises an army
and constructs a tort on Himeyama Hill.
1346
A.D.
1441
A.D.
Akamatsu Sadanori completes Himeyama
Castle.
1467
A.D.
Yamana Mochitoyo becomes the governor 01
Harima province and enters Himeji.
The Onin War
Akarnatsu Masanori lakes eonlrol 01 Himeji
Castle, and builds Ihe Main Bailey and Tsurumi
Bailey. Laler, Ihe Kodera clan are assigned lo Ihe
castle.
1545
A.D.
Kuroda Shigetaka is posted to Himeji Castle.
1546
A.D
Kuroda Kanbee is born in Himeji Castle.
Kuroda Yoshitaka (Kanbee)
wasbornin HirnejiCaslle. In
Ihe baltle againslAraki Mu-
rashige,Kurodaundertooka
mission of persuasion and
wentlo AriokaCastle,where
hewasimprisonedlar ayear.
As a slralegist lor Hashiba
Hideyoshi,he demonslrated
his strategie eapabililies in
the siege01ChOgokuregion
andelsewhere.
Hashiba Hideyoshi enters Himeji Castle.
1618
A.D.
1639
A.D.
1648
A.D.
1649
A.D.
1667
A.D.
1585
A.D.
Kinoshita lesada assumes control 01 the domain.
1682
A.D.
1704
A.D.
1741
A.D.
1749
A.D.
1808
A.D.
1867
A.D.
1868
A.D
1873
A.D.
1874
A.D.
1889
A.D.
Honda Tadakuni takes control 01 the domain.
Sakakibara Masakuni takes control 01 the
domain.
Matsudaira Akinori takes control 01 the domain.
Sakai Tadazumi takes control 01 the domain.
Major Ilooding damages the castle town.
The chiel retainer Kawai Michiomi implements
linancial relorms.
In 1787 Kawai Miehiomi
becametheehielretainer 01
the Himejidomain.In 1808
he was ordered by the
leudallordSakaiTadamiehi
to restorethe finanees01
theHimejidomain.
Return 01 Political Power to the Emperor
Statue of Kawai Michiomi
Sakai Tadakuni proposes the return 01 the land
and people.
Sakai Tadakuni, Ihe last lord 01 the domain, pro-
posed that the land and people should be relurned
to the Emperor.
Decision made to
preserve Himeji Castle.
I
Himeji Castle was seleeted
as one 01 56 eastles in
Japan to be retained, 10-
gether with Nagoya Caslle
and Kumamolo Castle.
The 10th inlantry regiment is relocated to the
premises 01 Himeji Castle.
Himeji City is established.
2009
A.D.
2015
A.D.
1910
A.D.
1931
A.D.
"Meiji Era Restoration" begins (concluding in
1911).
The Main Keep 01 Himeji Castle is designated
as National Treasure.
"Sh6wa Era Restoration" begins.
Kuroda Kanbee
1580
A.D.
Hashiba Hideyoshi enlered
Harima province as a corn-
mander intenl on subduing
Ihe Mori clan in ChOgoku
region. In 1580, he entered
Himeji at the suggestion01
KurodaYoshilaka.
1581
A.D.
Hideyoshi builds 3-storied keep in Himeji
Castle.
1600
A.D.
Alter the Batlle 01 Sekigahara, Ikeda Terumasa
becomes the lord 01 Himeji Castle.
1934
A.D.
1945
A.D.
Air raids on Himeji
Air raids during World War" redueedthe town 01Himeji
to ashes but Himeji Caslle miraeulously survived.
Hashiba Hideyoshi
1583
A.D.
Hideyoshi`s younger brother Hashiba Hide-
naga assumes control 01 the domain.
Ikeda Terumasa partieipated
in Hideyoshi`sOdawaraCam-
pagnandAizu Campagn.ln 1594,
hemarriedPrineessToku,the
seeond daughter 01Tokuga-
wa leyasu.Laterhewasaward-
ed 520,000 koku in Harima
and beeamethe lord 01Himeji
Caslle.
1950
A.D.
1951
A.D.
"Shówa Era Restoration" resumes.
The eight keeps 01 Himeji Castle are designated
as National Treasures.
The premises within the inner moat 01 Himeji
Castle are designated as Special Historie Sites.
m¡¡¡;¡¡¡;;¡;:~¡;;¡¡,
lkeda Terumasa
1601
A.D.
Ikeda Terumasa begins the construction 01
current Himeji Castle.
1952
A.D.
1956
A.D.
Dismantling and repair 01 the Main Keep and
other structures begin (completed in 1964).
1609
A.D.
1617
A.D.
The 5-storied, 7-lloored keep is completed.
Honda Tadamasa, accompanied by Princess
Sen and his son Tadatoki, takes control 01 the
domain.
1993
A.D.
Registered as Japan`s lirst World Cultural Heri-
tage Site.
Himeji Caslle was regislered on the lisl 01 UNESCO`s
World Cullural Herilage Siles .
Honda Tadamasa Princess Sen
Maintenance and repair 01 the Main Keep
begins ("Heisei Era Restoration").
Maintenance and repair 01 the Main Keep is
completed.
HondaTadamasaloughl in Hideyoshi`sOdawara Cam-
paign and Ihe Battle 01Sekigahara.fle was Iranslerred
lo Himeji, Prineess Sen, the daughler 01 Ihe seeond
Shogun, married Toyotomi Hideyori al Ihe age 01 7.
After Ihe Osaka Baltle she remarriedHondaTadatokiin
1616and spenl 10years in Himeji Caslle.
Honda Tadamasa constructs West Bailey on
Sagiyama Hill.
Matsudaira Tadaakira takes control 01 the
domain.
Matsudaira Naomoto takes control 01 the
domain.
Sakakibara Tadatsugu takes control 01 the
domain.
Matsudaira Naonori takes control 01 the
domain.
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Sophisticated defence mechanism
One of the features making the
Castle stunningly beautiful is the
roofs covered with flat tiles and
round tiles as well as plaster to
seal up the joints. Eight family
crests can be seenon the ridge-
end tiles and the eave-end tiles
as proof of repairs done by the
lords of the past.
Gates
Tiles
Shooting holes
Thereare997 openings
called sama in the walls
of the keeps, towers
and walls from which
arrows and guns were
shot. Four kinds of
shapes can be seen:
oblong for bows and
round, triangular and
square for guns. De-
pendingon the location
of the openings, they
aredescribed as tachi-
zama (for a standing
position), i-sama (for a
kneeling position) or
ne-sama (for a prone
position).
Windows
The thickly-Iatticed windows
are to prevent enemy intru-
sions and the entry of arrow
and bullets. The two small
keeps on the west and the
northwest feature bell-
shaped Kato-mado windows
decorated with black lacquer
and gold foil. This type of
window can be often seen in
Buddhist temples.
There are 21gates including ones named Hishi
Gate, Bizen Gate and a series of gates called
Mizu Gate. According to styles, those gates are
divided into k6rai-mon, uzumi-mon, yagura-mon
and so on. The gates retain the styles of the
Azuchi-Momoyama periodo
Walls
-7-
Precious Abura-Kabe Wall reportedly built by
Hashiba Hideyoshi are made of mountain
soil, pea gravel, rice-washing water and rice
porridge all mixed together.
32 mud walls designated as Important Cultural
Properties were made of blocks of clay formed to
uniform size and stacked with clay, though mud
walls constructed with a wooden framework were
the most common at the time. The white plaster en-
hances the beauty of the exterior.
-8-
CastleData
• Managemetrt· organization
• Number oJ important cultural buildings
... ~.... . ,
• Helght of Main-Keep
• Weight of Main Keep
" .
• Length of ~st large pillar and west
lar¡e pillar
• Number of towers
~ -!I.I.Z.. - ~IIU/!I
~ •.. -mm·
• Totallength of tila foofed-passage
tower at West Bailey
.,
.. -
• Number of shooting holas
.. :~ ~. : . ..
• Number of wells
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Princess Sen was the granddaugh-
ter of Tokugawa leyasu. At the age
of 7 she married Toyotomi Hideyori.
However, he commitled suicide in
Osaka Summer Batlle waged by
leyasu. She was rescued from
Osaka Castle in flame. At the age of
20, she remarried Honda Tadatoki,
son of the lord of Himeji Castle. Her
palace Musashino Goten was re-
portedly built in 3rd Bailey thanks to
her huge amount of dowry. She
spent the best ten years of her life
with her husband, son Kóchiyo and
daughter Katsu. However, Kóchiyo
died of disease at the age of 3. And
Tadatoki also died at the age of 31.
Princess Sen returned to Edo to
become a Buddhist nun under the
name of Tenjuin. She spent the rest
of her life mourning the loss of her
husband and son utill she died at
the age of 70.
~The Tale ofPrincess Sen
Keshó Yagura (Cosmetic Tower)
The room where Princess Sen used to
take a rest was full of richly colored
decorations.
Roofed-passage tower in West Bailey
The rooled-passage tower running along
with the outer edge 01West Bailey. The
long passage built according to the hill`s
geographical features. The cliff and
shooting holes show highly defensive
capabilities.
Conquer the White Castle!
Tile marked with a cross
Some say the tile with a cross on
the gable of Ni Gate is associated
with Kuroda Kanbee, who was a
Christian.
Fan curve of stone walls
The stone wall whose contour is
called "fan curve" for its resem-
blance of a folding fan. The incline
gets steeper as it goes up, making
it hard to clamber up.
~tohewalls to the east 01
Hishi-no-Mon (Hlshl Gate)
The plaster walls extending from
the right of Hishi Gate to Kami-
yamazato Bailey form an appeal-
ing curve as they are built along
the contours of the land.
Gate from the Momoyama Period
is elegant enough as the gateway
and is unique in that its side is on
a stone wall.
The rectangular rnoat built be-
tween Himeyama and Sagiyama. `
Its location between I Gate and ,
Ru Gate,whidh lead to 2nd Bailey
plays an impoutant role.
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nq 1I( r th White Castle!
Moal)
I be-
ma.
I and
I tley
Slone walls lo Ih
Hishi-no-Mon (HI
The plaster walls sxt nclln J üom
the right of Hishi ni I I 11111
yamazato Bailey form 011 IIpP 111
ing curve as they are bulll Illlm J
the contours of the land.
This is all that remains of roofed
mud walls repotedly build by
Hideyoshi.
11 rnnrk d wlth n cro s Abura-kabe wall
Taiko Yagura (Orum Tower)
(He-no- Yagura (He Tower))
Tower bordering Kamiyamazato
and East Bailey is a key point.
Writing, "year of 1599" was found
at Ri Gate implicates the gate
could be built before the Ikeda
periodo
The stone wall whose contour is
called "fan curve" for its resem-
blance of a folding fan. The incline
gets steeper as it goes up, making
it hard to clamber up.
lO -11-
Biz~Mon (Bizen Gate)
Gate inthe form of a gable "yagura
gate" is agatewayto Bizen Bailey.
Usage of a stone coffin for the gate
shows stone shortages in those
days.
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