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| Himeji Castle |
For the last 8 years, the Himeji Castle has been under renovation and closed to the public. It reopened about a month ago to huge crowds. Fortunately, we arrived early and were able to get tickets to see the buildings and grounds immediately. Quite a fantastic place.
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| upper stories of Himeji Castle from ramp |
First, the castle looks very different from the European variety. While it originally encompassed a very large area and many of the original walls remain along Himeji's city streets, the main part of the surviving castle consists of a huge multi-storied white building soaring above the courtyard below.
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| support post |
The castle was not designed for comfortable living, but for the defense of the local warlord and his family. In an attack, they would go to the top floor, defended by samurai and an array of architectural devices and tricks that would confuse or ensnare the enemy. Like the Ninja Temple in Kanazawa, there were hidden stairways, narrow alleyways and convoluted passages that could be more easily defended in case of attack. If all else failed, the warlord planned to set the building on fire, with the central part of the building acting like a flue, drawing the fire quickly up to the top floor where he and his family would all die, presumably in glory.
This large structure is supported by 2 huge pillars of wood and very large wooden beams in an elaborate latticework of posts and beams and crossbars. Stone walls form the foundation and also protected against an assault. No one ever attacked the castle, not that the warlords weren't dispatched in other ways as rivals sought their power and privilege.
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| charm protecting castle's roof |
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