Himeji Castle was always a fire escape from the danger of war and survived the fall of the palace in the hands of the enemy, so the main tower and other buildings of the palace is still much left. The Japanese government set eight buildings, including the main tower, turrets, and Watari-Yagura’s in the palace complex as a state heritage. In addition, different kinds of buildings with a total of 74 buildings inside the palace complex (27 buildings Yagura / Watari-Yagura, 15 building gate, 32 building wall) is determined as an important cultural heritage.
Himeji Castle is considered as the world’s cultural heritage is very precious, so that in 1993 UNESCO enter Himeji Castle to the list of World Heritage Sites in the category of cultural heritage.
From a distance, looks beautiful with the castle walls are white, often used as the location of Himeji Castle filmdengan historical background of ancient Japan. The palace is also often used as a substitute location for the other palaces such as Edo Castle.
There are records that can be trusted that Himeji Castle was first built in 1346 at the Palace era North-South Palace by son shogunAkamatsu Norimura (Enshin) named Akamatsu Sadanori Hime mountain site located in the northern city of Himeji.
There are opinions that say, in the days of clan Akamatsu, “palace” which was mentioned at that time are small, so it is more appropriate if called fortress. Building on a large scale that can be called as a “palace,” was built in the 16th century by Shigetaka Kuroda from the ruling clan Kodera in lowland areas Harima.
After that, the right hand in 1580 named Oda Nobunaga Hideyoshi Hashiba (later known as Toyotomi Hideyoshi) chose Himeji Castle as the center of power to govern Harima. Palace then repaired by following the model of medieval castle in order to look nice from the outside.
Unfortunately, the remaining palace buildings and architectural heritage that can be seen now is not the architectural relics from the time of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, but from the time of “shogun west country” Ikeda Terumasa which is the husband of the daughter of Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Ikeda Terumasa take 8 years to complete the Himeji Castle which was built in 1601. Minister Ikeda daimyo family named Iza Tadazumi appointed as leader of construction (? ? ??, fushin bugy??) And Sakurai Genbei as head carpenter. Development palace workers from mobilizing the population around the palace. According to the calculation of the Japanese way, the construction of the palace is expected to take power handyman with a total between 40 million to 50 million working days.
Himeji Castle is a castle built on a mountain in the middle of the plain (hirayamajiro palace model). Center is on the mountain palace Hime with the main tower which was founded exactly in the middle. Surrounding area is flat land also included in the palace.
Overall, Himeji castle using the order form spiralyang Teikaku model building opposite spin clockwise 3 times, with a starting point north of Mount Hime. The first round is called Uchiguruwa (inner zone), the second round called Nakakuruwa (middle zone), and the third round is called Sotokuruwa (outer zone). Now all that remains is to stay Uchikuruwa zone which is a complex of Himeji Castle today. Other zones Sogamae utilized as a region (territory palace outermost) that circles the city around the palace.
Uchikuruwa inner zone consists of five layers, namely Honmaru (main area), Ninomaru (secondary region), Sannomaru (the tertiary), Nishinomaru (west region), and Demaru (palace caretaker’s office.) Uchikuruwa zone in there are also several other zones, namely Mizukuruwa, Koshikuruwa, and Obikuruwa. Each zone is separated in detail with gates which are named based on the composition of hiragana “i-ro-ha”, like I-no-Mon, Ha-no-Mon, and so on.
Large field which is now in front of Himeji Castle building, formerly a Sannomaru region, while some regions Zoo Himejimenempati Demaru. In the region there is little Nishinomaru only remaining building, one of whom tower called Kesho-Yagura.
Construction of the palace, led by Ikeda Terumasa done exactly in between the War and the Battle of Sekigahara Winter-Summer Osaka (Osaka no Eki), therefore the court is designed with the intent to use in actual combat. Also at the same court appearance should look beautiful and majestic as the symbol of majesty of “shogun west country” which became the nickname Ikeda Terumasa.
After the Himeji Castle is built, in Japan there is no longer building large palaces such as Himeji Castle, because in 1615 the Tokugawa shogunate government issued a decree “The state of the palace” (Ikkoku-ichijo-rei). Development of a new palace, refurbishment and repair some of the palaces will not be possible without a permit issued by the Tokugawa Shogunate, except Edo Castle and Nagoya Castle which is home Tokugawa clan.
To the north of the mountain Hime remaining wilderness-haraseirin Himeyama that has existed since before the palace was built. According to the newspaper, the underground tunnel from the exit Honmaru have the emergence in the middle of the forest-haraseirin Himeyama, but until now there has been no one who can find it.
In the west flowing rivers of the mountain Hime Senbagawa a useful addition as a route of transportation, most rivers flow diverted into the ditch in the palace.