Perched atop the 45.6-meter-high Mt. Hime, Himeji Castle dominates the landscape of Himeji City in Hyogo Prefecture, offering a commanding view of the Harima Plain. Adorned in white plaster, the main tower group is often likened to a graceful egret in flight, earning the castle its alternative moniker of "White Egret Castle." Among Japan's dwindling original castles, Himeji boasts the most intact structures. Notably, its main tenshu keep and ko-tenshu sub-keeps were bestowed the prestigious title of National Treasures in 1931, while an additional 74 edifices hold the esteemed designation of National Important Cultural Properties. Alongside Horyu-ji Temple, Himeji Castle proudly holds the distinction of being Japan's inaugural World Heritage site, a recognition bestowed upon it in 1993.
The origins of a fortress on this site trace back to the Nanboku-cho period, with significant enhancements during the Sengoku era under the directive of Oda Nobunaga and his vassal, Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Following the pivotal Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Ikeda Terumasa assumed control of the castle, along with a substantial income of 520,000 koku. Over the subsequent eight years, Terumasa oversaw the transformation of Himeji into the architectural marvel it is today. Encircled by three concentric moats—soto-bori, naka-bori, and uchi-bori—the castle boasted formidable defenses, with remnants visible today within the inner moat.
Tasked by Tokugawa Ieyasu, his trusted son-in-law Terumasa expanded and fortified Himeji Castle in anticipation of future military campaigns, notably the impending confrontation with Toyotomi Hideyoshi's heir, Hideyori, at Osaka Castle. The castle's imposing stature was intended to deter western-based Toyotomi loyalists from reinforcing Osaka, solidifying its role as a strategic bastion.
Construction of the iconic white tower, symbolizing Himeji Castle's grandeur, commenced in 1601 and culminated in its completion in 1609. This towering edifice, standing at 31.5 meters atop a 14.8-meter stone base, represents the largest extant tower keep of the Edo period. Spanning 140 meters east to west and 125 meters north to south, the main keep complex comprises the dai-tenshu (large tower keep) and three smaller ko-tenshu sub-keeps—nishi (western), inui (northwestern), and higashi (eastern). The strategic layout facilitated vigilant observation and defense, with downward-facing hatches facilitating the deployment of matchlock guns against encroaching adversaries.
Internally, the main tower encompasses seven floors, of which only five are visible externally. The uppermost floor reflects the refined shoin-zukuri architectural style favored by the samurai elite, underscoring the structure's ceremonial significance.
Himeji Castle stands as a testament to the masterful fusion of military functionality and aesthetic elegance embodied by the samurai, exemplified in its enduring architectural splendor.
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Kaminoyama Castle
Kamino-yama Castle stood at the center of an important logistics hub, in the middle of the Yonezawa Plain, which served as the gateway to the western part of the Tohoku region. Roads connecting the Aizu, Fukushima, and Yamagata areas intersected here.
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Imabari Castle
Tōdō Takatora (1556–1630) served at different times as a vassal of several famous clans—Azai, Oda, Toyotomi, and Tokugawa. He took part in the Battle of Anegawa (1570), the Battle of Shizugatake (1583), the invasions of Kyushu and Korea, the Sekigahara campaign (1600), and the Siege of Osaka (1614–1615).
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Iwakuni Castle
Kikkawa Hiroie (1561–1625) was the grandson of the famous daimyo Mori Motonari and a vassal of the Mori clan. Under Mori Terumoto, he fought in both Korean campaigns and took part in the defense of Ulsan Castle. During the Battle of Sekigahara, Hiroie stood with his 3,000-man force on the side of the Western Coalition; however, even before the battle began, he sent Tokugawa Ieyasu a secret message stating that he did not intend to fight Tokugawa’s troops. As a result of his inaction, 15,000 soldiers under Mori Hidemoto were also unable to enter the battle, since Hiroie blocked their path.
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Gujo Hachiman Castle
Gujo Hachiman Castle is located on 350-meter Mount Hachiman, near the confluence of the Yoshidagawa and Kodaragava rivers, and not far from the Nagaragawa River. During the Sengoku period, this area was of great strategic importance: it stood at a key crossroads of routes connecting Mino Province in the south with the Sea of Japan in the north, and Hida Province in the east with Echizen Province in the west.
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Amagasaki Castle
The founding year of Amagasaki Castle is traditionally considered to be 1617, when Toda Ujikané built his castle here, making it the administrative center of the Amagasaki Domain. However, as early as the Sengoku period, a fortress built by the Hosokawa clan already stood on this site. After the fall of Itami Castle in 1579, Araki Murashige—formerly a vassal of Oda Nobunaga who had rebelled against him—fled to this earlier castle.
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Hiroshima Castle
Mōri Terumoto (1553–1625) was the grandson and rightful heir of the renowned Mōri Motonari. When Terumoto became the head of the Mōri clan in 1571, he inherited vast territories covering a large part of the San’in and San’yō regions in western Honshū. In addition, the Mōri clan possessed the largest and most technologically advanced naval fleet of its time.
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Fukuyama Castle
After the defeat of Toyotomi Hideyori’s supporters in the Osaka Campaigns of 1614–1615, many clans in Japan still remained not fully loyal to the Tokugawa shogunate, especially in the western Chūgoku region. Mizuno Katsunari (1564–1651), a cousin of Tokugawa Ieyasu, became the first of the Tokugawa house’s close retainers, the so-called fudai daimyō, to be relocated to this strategically important area.
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Tiba Castle
The founder of the Chiba clan is considered to be Chiba Tsunesige (1083–1180), who in 1126 moved his residence to the Inohana area and built a strongly fortified stronghold there. Although Tsunesige himself came from the Taira clan, the Chiba clan later supported Minamoto no Yoritomo, the future founder of the first shogunate.
