A visit to Himeji

Travel Reports by Chashitsu

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November 10, 2014 - A visit to Himeji

We took an early Shinkansen to Himeji and walked to the castle, which is about 20 minutes to the north of the station. The White Egret castle as it is known is one of the finest of the 12 original remaining castles in Japan, built in the early 1600's after the battle of Sekigahara, which brought about the unification of Japan under the Tokugawa shoguns. It remains much as it was when finished in 1618 with a 5 storey main tower as seen from outside but inside there are six storeys and a basement. The walls are made from huge granite blocks with the upper storeys finished in white plaster. There are over a 1000 metres of earthen walls, some of which are made of clay, sand and boiled rice water. These days the castle beats to the drum of thousands of tourists clambering up and down the steep stairways. However the castle is currently under repair until March 2015 although it can be viewed from outside.