HIMEJI CASTLE
Himeji,
Hyogo Prefecture, Japan
Himeji Castle is
the Largest and Most Visited Castle in Japan
National Treasure in 1931 and Registered as a UNESCO World Heritage
site in 1993.
Himeji Castle's construction dates to 1333,
when a fort was constructed on Himeyama hill by Akamatsu Norimura. In 1346, the
fort was demolished and built Himeyama Castle in its place.
In 1545, 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 significantly remodeled the castle,
building a three-story castle. Ikeda demolished the three-story keep that had
been created by Hideyoshi, and completely rebuilt and expanded the castle from
1601 to 1609, adding three moats and transforming it into the castle complex
that is seen today.
Several buildings were later added to the castle
complex by Honda Tadamasa from 1617 to 1618. For over 400 years,
Himeji Castle has remained intact, even throughout the extensive bombing of Himeji
in World War II, and natural disasters such as the 1995 Great Hanshin
earthquake.
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 820,000 visitors annually.
