White Himeji Castle is a good fairy, white walls and gray tiles, a little blue and white tone, and a bit like a princess's castle. Girls, you'll love it at first sight!
Himeji Castle is not simple, it is the top of the global feverish List of Japan's 300 Famous Cities, and its status has remained unchanged for many years! Himeji Castle, Matsuyama Castle, and Wakayama Castle are collectively known as The Three Great Japanese Castles of Hirayama Castle, and are known as "Japan's First Castles" due to their high degree of preservation.
Castle tower like an egret
Completed in 2015, the Heisei Overhaul is Japan's first World Heritage Site and one of the few castles in Japan where you can see the original state.
The castle tower is a marvel of architecture on a high pedestal, supporting only two wooden pillars surrounded by about 2 people, supporting a solid underground floor and a six-story high-rise building. And the castle tower is like an egret flying in the blue sky. During the cherry blossom season, it's as beautiful as a fairyland.
Himeji Castle cherry blossoms
The history of Himeji Castle dates back to 1333, when the first fortress was built on the top of Himeyama Mountain, and now there are 8 national treasure-level buildings, including 74 important cultural relics such as bridges, gates, and walls. The main building is an acropolis of the lordship of the Japanese shogunate, using the highest japanese castle-building technology of the Edo period.
The buildings of Himeji Castle are arranged in a triple spiral, and are connected by the connection of the large castle tower (46.4 meters high) in the central part and three small castle towers (East Small Castle Tower, West Small Castle Tower, and Dry Small Castle Tower).
In addition to being beautiful, Himeji Castle is also one of the most interesting castles in Japan.
Why? Just look at the security system of Himeji Castle, and you can try to find every security design.
First of all, the "Takadai Hirayama Castle" (a total altitude of 92 meters) formed by Himeyama (45.6 meters) and the surrounding flat land, surrounded by a trench castle, and the stone walls and castle walls are firmly guarded. At the same time, there are stone walls and city walls separating each city area or passage, making it impossible for foreign enemies to easily enter.
Secondly, the ishigaki is steeply inclined, a feature known as a "fan-shaped slope", and the upper part is tilted outward, making it difficult to climb.
Again, the gray tile white wall, in order to prevent the fire the external wall is all painted with white mortar.
Then, the moat has a protective opening where arrows can be shot, and some doors, and the door stones can be removed to seal the entrance or use it as a weapon.
The various tiles here are called ghost tiles.
This castle is also unique in that unlike other castles such as Kumamoto Castle, where there are various exhibitions on each floor, it is difficult to see the castle as it is.
Himeji Castle is where the original facilities of the castle are maintained, and there is a shrine shrine on the top floor of the castle tower.
Japan is a yokai-loving country, and there is also a famous yokai in Himeji Castle, called "Nagabi", which is also the patron saint of Himeji Castle. Nagabi has been living in the castle tower since the beginning of Himeji Castle. She is the representative opera of Izumi Kyoka, a pioneer of Japanese fantasy literature, "The Tale of the Castle Keep", who lives on the top floor of the castle keep.
According to legend, Nagaihime, dressed in Japan's most advanced twelve-style kimono, was a white-haired old woman, but some people say that she was a beautiful woman with a heavenly appearance.
Nagabi Ji, also known as The Executioner, appeared only once a year to the lord of the city, and when she came, she led the maids to appear on the roof of the castle tower to inform the future fate of the city.
Perhaps because of the protection of the gods, In the past four hundred years, Himeji Castle has experienced the civil war at the end of the shogunate, the "abolition order" of the Meiji era, and the bombing of the US army in World War II, but it has miraculously survived the crisis of annihilation three times and twice, so it is also called "no war city".
In particular, on July 3, 1945, the Himeji Air Raid destroyed the entire town of Shimoshita, and only Himeji Castle remained in its original state. It is said that at that time, both the Daitenmaru and Nishimaru were shot, but they happened to be completely unexploded.
When the citizens of Himeji looked up at the castle tower in the scorched earth, most of them couldn't help but burst into tears.
Himeji Castle, such a magical place, maybe when you climb to the top of the castle tower, you will meet Nagabi Hime.
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Himeji Castle (Hyogo Prefecture)
Location: 68 Honcho, Himeji City