Himeji, Japan Photo Gallery
Brian and Doug at the Himeji sign.
Our hole in the wall delicious lunch spot.
A sculpture we passed on the 1 k walk from the train station to the castle.
Himeji Castle-a hilltop Japanese castle complex and regarded as the finest surviving example of prototypical Japanese castle architecture, comprising a network of 83 rooms with advanced defensive systems from the feudal period.
Bridge into Himeji Castle.
It was a very nice surprise to find the cherry blossoms at peak blooming time. It was so beautiful!
Magical!
I love being in the middle of these beautiful blossoms!
God's beauty!
Himeji Castle was ruled by a number of different samurai clans during the civil wars of the sixteenth century and the long peace of the Edo period (1603–1867).
Even Margaret had to watch her head in this gateway.
Japanese castle builders needed vast quantities of high-quality ceramic roofing tiles. Ceramic was the best but most costly roofing option during the Edo period (1603–1867).
This is a 1:20 scale model of the timber frame of Himeji Castle’s main keep. The keep is supported by a lattice of posts and beams rather than by thick outer walls, with the two columns at the center of the structure bearing the heaviest load.
The keep and other buildings at Himeji Castle are timber-frame buildings. Carpenters used joinery techniques developed over centuries to construct the complex framework of posts and beams that support the towering main keep.
A view from the keep down the Main Street to the train station.
Some of the huge beams in the main keep.
Margaret beside one of the columns that supports the main structure.
Another of the columns.
The elevated walkway to the left was used for defense of the keep.
Castles built during the Edo period (1603–1867) typically included at least one tamon yagura—a long, well-fortified gallery of rooms with watchtowers at each end.
The wall where weapons were stored.
A view from the keep looking out over all the cherry trees on the castle grounds and the city beyond.
Shachi, mythical fish-like creatures that adorn the roofs of Japanese castles, were believed to guard against fire.
I love all the levels, circles, and curves, such details!
The fan curve of the stone wall and the rectangular stones stacked alternatively on their long and short sides allowed higher walls to be built.
I saw this on the train ride to Kobe. I'm not sure what this is a part of, but you frequently see structures like this as a part of castles, temples and shrines.