Japanese Castle: The Art And Architecture Of Himeji Castle

1769 Words4 Pages

Himeji Castle, also called Shirasagijo (White Heron Castle) or Hakuro-jō (White Egret Castle) because of its bright white exterior and bird taking flight resemblance, represents the highest achievement in Japanese castle architecture. The castle is the best-preserved example of the early 17th –century Japanese castle architecture. It serves as a classic example of Japanese castle architecture, having been designated a national treasure in 1931. Composed of 83 buildings with advanced systems of defense and innovative fortified devices dating from the beginning of the Shogun period, it is an architectural expression of the romanticized Japanese historic period, a period of renowned warlords and samurais in the respectful feudal society. Located in Himeji City, in the Hyogo Prefecture on the Himeyama hill, Himeji castle supremely rules over the landscape of the city, the city that has been an important transportation hub in Western Japan since ancient times. Himeji Castle’s symbolic design reveals and gives a unique character to the city, incorporating both strategic design as well as an appropriate conscious organization of space, while it functions as a military command, monument to the grandeur of an earlier reign, and center for political entity, reflecting the values of Japanese society.
Himeji Castle was originally built as a fortification against local shoguns in 1346 by Akamatsu Sadanori, the emperor of the ancient Harima Province. After the emperor, Nobunaga Oda took control of the Harima district in 1577, he placed Hideyoshi in control of the castle, which converted the fortified building into a castle with over 30 turrets. In 1580, Kuroda Yoshitaka presented the castle to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and in 1581 Hideyoshi sign...

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...mbolic. In Himeji Castle instead of a balcony there is a corridor around the top but no access to the outside the corridor. They are painted white and hardly be viewed. This shows that many elements of the Castle were symbolic and had no practical function.

Himeji Castle stands as the best preserved example of feudal society castle architecture in all of Japan. The architects were able to reimagine the basic materials from nature: stone, wood, and water into a courteous and elegant structure. It represents as a commemoration not only to the ingenious craftsmanship of the artisan but also to the Japanese concept of harmony between man and nature. The integration of a residence and a military compound into a structure of long lasting physical aesthetic proves that not only is the integration of man and nature beneficial, but it can also be a better way of life.

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