Himeji Castle

Japan's World Heritage castle

by Kelly Monaghan

If Ishikawa-mon in Kanazawa gave me a tantalizing hint of what a Japanese castle might be like, Himeji-jo fulfilled my fantasies and them some.

In days of yore, as the saying goes, Japan's plains were dotted with castles. They filled much the same functions as their European counterparts, serving as fortress-homes for the ruling warlord and a final line of defense against invaders. Most of Japan's castles burned to the ground in accidental fires or were destroyed during the Meiji era when they were considered something of an embarrassing relic from a barbaric past. Some were rebuilt during the early 20th century, only to be blown to smithereens during World War II, a few to be rebuilt yet again. So most of the castles you see today in Japan are recreations.

But Himeji-jo (the "jo" means castle in Japanese) is the real thing, one of the few old castles to have survived more or less intact. And what a magnificent sight it is, a great hulking pagoda of power that lords it over Himeji, the puny modern city that sprawls at its feet. It is a massive and brutish affair that simply oozes strength. In its heyday, when its tributary town was a tangle of wooden houses and the plain a single uninterrupted sheet of rice paddies, it must have been as intimidating as any Death Star conjured up by George Lukas. And yet, there is something incongruously delicate about it, like an armored knight with an uplifted pinky.

The castle's origins may date back as far as 1333, but the castle in its present form was substantially built by 1609. Although the present-day grounds seems commodious enough, the original outer moat of the castle lay in the area of the JR railroad station, a brisk 30-minute walk from the present entrance.

We approached through a fairyland of cherry blossoms which added yet another elegant grace note to the castle's power. Today the castle is a museum (Admission 500 yen) and the path of the tour you take leads through massive gates in equally massive walls, to imposing courtyards and then into the castle itself, spiraling ever upwards to the dizzying heights of the upper floors. The tower proper was given over to military affairs, while the lords and ladies lived in outlying buildings within the castle walls. A few of these rooms have been restored to illustrate the lifestyle of the upper crust.

The tower interior is an astonishing piece of work. The sheer mass of its enormous wooden beams, broad planking, and thick walls seems to weigh upon you as you work your way upwards on ever narrower, ever steeper stairs. Gun racks line the walls and ingenious openings offer a variety of ways to toss, fire, and rain death on an advancing enemy. It's scarce wonder that most castles, when they did fall, fell to siege rather than brute force. The view from the top is awe-inspiring, although the windows are small and it takes some effort of the imagination to conjure the 16th century vista that once greeted the masters of this immense fortress.

If you are going to Japan, by all means visit this very special monument. Armed with a JR Rail Pass, you can fit it into most schedules. It is an easy day trip from Kyoto and if you are heading further south, to Hiroshima, say, you can stop off in Himeji for three hours for a whirlwind visit. You won't regret it.

This article is based on a visit in April of 1999. Prices and other information were accurate as of that date.

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