Spread over a hill that climbs up from the plain, Himeji Castle with its
white walls shimmering in the sunlight like the feathers of a fantastic
bird seems to be rising into the blue sky like a great heron. This
impression has given it the name Castle of the White Heron. The castle,
which has nothing martial about it, on the contrary, it is
extraordinarily elegant, is undoubtedly one of Japan's most impressive
fortresses. It was built between 1601 and 1609, when the period of war
was almost over, and was used primarily for administration and
residence, with defence as a secondary role. Thus its aesthetic impact
was as important when it was built as its actual purpose as a
fortification. The main building in the castle is the Tenshu or
Tenshu-kaku in the northem part of the complex, a wooden structure about
46 m high. Its complicated intermediate roofs make it look more like a
skyscraper than a tower. Himeji Castle represents an architectural type
that probably does not occur in other areas of the world. Large parts of
the building were classified as Kokuho State Treasure as early as 1951,
and others as Important Cultural Property. The building was placed on
the World Cultural Heritage list in 1993.
