My visit to Himeji - Jo (Himeji Castle)    By Irina Dyu, Winter 2005 update

If you visit Hyogo Prefecture it would be a sin not to visit Himeji Castle a national treasure of Japan that was registered on the World Heritage list.
Himeji Castle is beautiful in all seasons, but in my mind, I've been lucky to visit it in autumn when the leaves on the trees around the Castle are crimson, bright orange and yellow. I was impressed by the picturesque natural views in the Himeji Castle area and made some postcards out of pictures taken there.

The castle has a beautiful layout and is a real masterpiece. It was built in the 16th century, and some people associate the white castle with a white heron in flight. It is the world's largest wooden building in existence. To come inside of the Castle you will be asked to take off your shoes and change into slippers. The castle is really big, so it takes a lot of time to walk around. Sometimes you have to climb stairs. Be careful, as sometimes you must bend your head because the ceiling is very low. The wooden attire inside of the Castle creates a comfortable atmosphere.

There are many signboards in the Castle with interesting historical information and stories about the Castle's records. I've been told the story about one Castle's maidservant that served the Lord's family and had been accused of stealing very valuable dining service items, but she was not guilty at all. Nevertheless, she was thrown in a very deep well, where she died after several days of despair without food or water. Before she died everybody in the Castle could hear her voice from the well where she was going mad counting the dining service items out loud.

You can notice a lot of holes in the Castle's walls everywhere. Some of these holes are "loopholes" through which defenders would shoot arrows or fire guns. Another defensive measure used were "Ishiotoshi" (stone-throwing devices) that were used to throw stones or pour boiling water down on the enemy. With the first step in the Himeji-jo area it seems you step into a past, historical time. This feeling is very exciting! I enjoyed my visit to Himeji castle very much and come back there to see how it is in the winter.

[HIMEJI CASTLE]