Himeji Castle

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Initially built as a fortress by the Harima district ruler in 1333, Himeji Castle has been repeatedly expanded throughout the centuries and now stands intact on a hill in the centre of Himeji City, surrounded by a tangled network of spiralling paths and high walls. In Japanese it is known as 'White Heron Castle', because its wooden walls are covered in a type of pure white, fire-retardant plaster and, coupled with its delicately curved, pagoda-style roofs, this endows it with an almost ethereal, glowing elegance. The castle's best known story is that of Okiku, a servant girl who is said to have worked at the castle. The tale is a very old one of folk origins, and it has never been established whether Himeji Castle was the true setting. There are an unusually large number of variations on the story but they all revolve round the idea that Okiku was desired as a mistress by a wealthy aristocrat or a powerful samurai who lived in the castle where she worked, but she refused his advances due to her love for another. The would-be seducer is then said to have entrusted Okiko with the responsibility for ten very valuable plates belonging to his family, but removed one of them beforehand. The story goes that on discovering the plate's disappearance, Okiko was terrified of the consequences and after blaming its absence on her, the amorous gentleman offered to protect her if she would agree to become his lover. She is then said to have either thrown herself into the well in desperation or been cast into it by her enraged admirer when she refused to agree to his suggestion. Either way, her ghost is said to rise from Himeji Castle's famous well by night and count to nine out loud, stopping before ten because of the missing plate, and then sobbing tragically and wildly.

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