Himeji Castle

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Land of the Rising Sun

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‘Heron Castle’

Himeji Castle, or the White Heron Castle as it's known, thanks to a nattily minimalist colour scheme, dates back to 1346, built by one Akamatsu Sadanori to defend himself from marauding shoguns. In 1577 it became a castle proper, thanks to the addition of 30 turrets. As impressive now as it was then, it's almost perfectly preserved, thanks in no small measure to the fact that no-one's ever dared launch an attack on the thing.

3 / 5 Review by member matt_b

‘Himeji-jo’

Himeji-jo is the finest surviving example of early 17th-century Japanese castle architecture, comprising 83 buildings with highly developed systems of defence and ingenious protection devices dating from the beginning of the Shogun period. It is a masterpiece of construction in wood, combining function with aesthetic appeal, both in its elegant appearance unified by the white plastered earthen walls and in the subtlety of the relationships between the building masses and the multiple roof layers.

5 / 5 Review by editor World Reviewer Staff