Himeji Castle

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Himeji Castle dates to 1333 when Akamatsu Norimura built a fort on top of Himeyama hill. The fort was dismantled and rebuilt as Himeyama Castle in 1346 and then remodeled into Himeji Castle two centuries later. In 1581, Toyotomi Hideyoshi significantly remodeled the castle, adding a three-story castle keep. After the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Tokugawa Ieyasu awarded the castle to Ikeda Terumasa for his help in battle, and Ikeda completely rebuilt the castle from 1601 to 1609, expanding it into a large castle complex. Several buildings were later added to the castle complex by Honda Tadamasa from 1617 to 1618. For almost 700 years, Himeji Castle has remained intact, withstanding incidents such as the bombing of Himeji in World War II, and natural disasters, including the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake. In the Meiji Period, the castle was abandoned in 1871 and some of the castle corridors and gates were destroyed to make room for Japanese army barracks. The entirety of the castle complex was slated to be demolished by government policy, but it was spared by the efforts of Nakamura Shigeto, an army colonel. The castle buildings underwent restoration work for several years and reopened to the public on March 27, 2015. The works also removed decades of dirt and grime, restoring the formerly grey roof to its original brilliant white color.

Reader's Guide

Himeji Castle is the largest and most visited castle in Japan, and it was registered in 1993 as one of the first UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the country. The area within the middle moat of the castle complex is a designated Special Historic Site and five structures of the castle are also designated National Treasures: the main keep, northwest small keep, west small keep, east small keep, and I, Ro, Ha, Ni-corridors and kitchen. Along with Matsumoto Castle and Kumamoto Castle, Himeji Castle is considered one of Japan's three premier castles. The castle complex comprises a network of 83 buildings such as storehouses, gates, corridors, and turrets. Of these 83 buildings, 74 are designated as Important Cultural Assets. The main keep has six floors and a basement, and the complex covers 233 hectares, making it roughly 50 times as large as the Tokyo Dome. The curved walls of Himeji Castle are sometimes said to resemble giant fans, and feudal family crests are installed throughout the architecture of the building. Himeji Castle serves as an excellent example of prototypical Japanese castle architecture, containing many of the defensive and architectural features associated with Japanese castles.

Did You Know?

• Himeji Castle is frequently called Hakuro-jō or Shirasagi-jō ('White Egret Castle' or 'White Heron Castle') because of its brilliant white exterior and supposed resemblance to a bird taking flight.
• During World War II, a firebomb was dropped on the top floor of the castle but failed to explode.
• In the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake, even the bottle of sake placed on the altar at the top floor of the keep remained in place.
• The main keep appears to have five floors but actually has six floors and a basement.
• The castle complex covers 233 hectares, making it roughly 50 times as large as the Tokyo Dome.

Architectural Grandeur & Defensive Design

Himeji Castle is the largest castle in Japan and serves as an excellent example of prototypical Japanese castle architecture, containing many of the defensive and architectural features associated with Japanese castles. The curved walls are sometimes said to resemble giant fans, but the principal materials used in the structures are stone and wood. Feudal family crests are installed throughout the architecture, signifying the various lords that inhabited the castle throughout its history. The specific style of the castle is a hirayama (flat hilltop). The castle complex comprises a network of 83 buildings such as storehouses, gates, corridors, and turrets. Of these 83 buildings, 74 are designated as Important Cultural Assets: 11 corridors, 16 turrets, 15 gates, and 32 earthen walls. The highest walls in the castle complex have a height of 26 m. The main keep at the center of the complex is 46.4 m high, standing 92 m above sea level. Together with the main keep, three smaller subsidiary keeps form a cluster of towers. Externally, the keep appears to have five floors, but it actually has six floors and a basement.

Centuries of Construction & Rebuilding

The story of Himeji Castle begins in 1333 when Akamatsu Norimura built a fort on top of Himeyama hill during the Genkō War. In 1346, his son Sadanori demolished this fort and built Himeyama Castle in its place. In 1545, the Kuroda clan was stationed here by order of the Kodera clan, and feudal ruler Kuroda Shigetaka remodeled the castle into Himeji Castle, completing the work in 1561. In 1580, Kuroda Yoshitaka presented the castle to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and in 1581 Hideyoshi significantly expanded the castle, building a three-story keep with an area of about 55 m². Following the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Tokugawa Ieyasu granted Himeji Castle to his son-in-law, Ikeda Terumasa, as a reward for his help in battle. Ikeda demolished the three-story keep Hideyoshi had built and completely rebuilt and expanded the castle from 1601 to 1609, adding three moats and transforming it into the castle complex seen today. The expenditure of labor involved in this expansion is believed to have totaled 2.5 million man-days. In 1617, Honda Tadamasa and his family inherited the castle, and Honda added several buildings, including a special tower for his daughter-in-law, Princess Sen, called keshō yagura (Dressing Tower).

A Fortress That Refused to Fall

For almost 700 years, Himeji Castle has remained intact, withstanding incidents such as the bombing of Himeji in World War II, and natural disasters, including the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake. In the Meiji Period, many Japanese castles were destroyed. Himeji Castle was abandoned in 1871 and some of the castle corridors and gates were destroyed to make room for Japanese army barracks. The entirety of the castle complex was slated to be demolished by government policy, but it was spared by the efforts of Nakamura Shigeto, an army colonel. A stone monument honoring Nakamura was placed in the castle complex within the first gate, the Hishi Gate. Himeji was heavily bombed in 1945, at the end of World War II, and although most of the surrounding area was burned to the ground, the castle survived intact. One firebomb was dropped on the top floor of the castle but failed to explode. In January 1995, the city of Himeji was substantially damaged by the Great Hanshin earthquake, but Himeji Castle again survived virtually undamaged, demonstrating remarkable earthquake resistance. Even the bottle of sake placed on the altar at the top floor of the keep remained in place.

Global Recognition & Ongoing Preservation

Himeji Castle was registered on 11 December 1993 as one of the first UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Japan. Five structures of the castle are also designated National Treasures: the main keep, northwest small keep, west small keep, east small keep, and I, Ro, Ha, Ni-corridors and kitchen. The area within the middle moat of the castle complex is a designated Special Historic Site. Along with Matsumoto Castle and Kumamoto Castle, Himeji Castle is considered one of Japan's three premier castles. It is the most visited castle in Japan, receiving over 2,860,000 visitors in 2015. Starting in April 2010, Himeji Castle underwent restoration work to preserve the castle buildings, and reopened to the public on March 27, 2015. The works also removed decades of dirt and grime, restoring the formerly grey roof to its original brilliant white color.

Common Misconceptions (Editorial)

Some people believe Himeji Castle has exactly five floors in its main keep, but it actually has six floors plus a basement. Another common misconception is that the castle’s white roof has always been that color; in reality, decades of dirt and grime had turned it grey until restoration work completed in 2015 restored the brilliant white exterior.

Why It Matters (Editorial)

Himeji Castle matters not only as a masterpiece of feudal defensive architecture but as a rare survivor of war and natural disaster over nearly 700 years. Its preservation reminds us that cultural heritage can endure through both human conflict and environmental upheaval, offering a tangible link to Japan’s medieval past that continues to inspire awe and study today.