Himeji Castle
Description of Himeji Castle
Himeji Castle (姫 路 城) is a Japanese castle located
in the coastal city of Himeji in Hyōgo prefecture (former district
of Shikito in Harima province), about 47 km west of Kobe. It is one
of the oldest structures in medieval Japan that still survives in
good condition. It was designated as a World Heritage Site by Unesco
in 1993, it is also a special historical site of Japan and a
National Treasure. Together with Matsumoto Castle and Kumamoto
Castle, it is one of the "Three Famous Castles" of Japan, and is the
most visited in the country. It is sometimes known as Hakuro-jō or
Shirasagi-jō ("Castle of the White Heron") due to the bright white
color of its exterior.
Himeji castle appears frequently in the Japanese television, like scene
of films and fiction series, because the Edo Castle in Tokyo at the
moment does not own a main tower similar to which it has the Castle
Himeji. It is a point of reference used inside the city of
Himeji, since being located the castle on a hill, can be seen
from great part of the city.
Himeji Castle originally known as Himeyama castle was started in 1346 with last major addition of the West Circle in 1618. Despite the fact that much of the surroundings were bombed during World War 2 the castle itself was not damaged. The only bomb that did fell within its walls did not explode.