THE JONES KNOW ANCESTRAL JAPAN IN HIMEJI CASTLE

Paqui and Joaquín's selfies in Himeji Castle

Yesterday, The Jones visited Himeji Castle. They spent all day enjoying this beautiful place and knowing its history. The family tasted some local cuisine and they took hundreds of photos with the last Sony Xperias that The Grandma had bought for them in their last visit to Sony Headquarters. 

Today, the family is visiting some of the best moto manufacturers like Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki, and Kawasaki. There are other important companies like Daihatsu, Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Isuzu or Mitsuoka but these are more market-oriented to cars and The Jones are interested in buying some motorbikes.

More information: Himeji Castle

Himeji Castle is a hilltop Japanese castle complex situated in the city of Himeji which is located in the Hyōgo Prefecture. The castle is regarded as the finest surviving example of prototypical Japanese castle architecture, comprising a network of 83 buildings with advanced defensive systems from the feudal period. The castle is frequently known as Hakuro-jō or Shirasagi-jō, White Egret Castle or White Heron Castle, because of its brilliant white exterior and supposed resemblance to a bird taking flight.

Marta, Víctor & Ana Jones at Himeji Castle

Himeji Castle dates to 1333, when Akamatsu Norimura built a fort on top of Himeyama hill. The fort was dismantled and rebuilt as Himeyama Castle in 1346, and then remodeled into Himeji Castle two centuries later.

Himeji Castle was then significantly remodeled in 1581 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who added a three-story castle keep. 

In 1600, Tokugawa Ieyasu awarded the castle to Ikeda Terumasa for his help in the Battle of Sekigahara, and Ikeda completely rebuilt the castle from 1601 to 1609, expanding it into a large castle complex. Several buildings were later added to the castle complex by Honda Tadamasa from 1617 to 1618. For over 400 years, Himeji Castle has remained intact, even throughout the extensive bombing of Himeji in World War II, and natural disasters such as the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake.

More information: Japan Guide

Himeji Castle is the largest and most visited castle in Japan, and it was registered in 1993 as one of the first UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the country. The area within the middle moat of the castle complex is a designated Special Historic Site and five structures of the castle are also designated National Treasures. Along with Matsumoto Castle and Kumamoto Castle, Himeji Castle is considered one of Japan's three premier castles

Claudia, Merche & Eli Jones in Himeji Castle

Himeji Castle's construction dates to 1333, when a fort was constructed on Himeyama hill by Akamatsu Norimura, the ruler of the ancient Harima Province. 

In 1346, his son Sadanori demolished this fort and built Himeyama Castle in its place. 

In 1545, the Kuroda clan was stationed here by order of the Kodera clan, and feudal ruler Kuroda Shigetaka remodeled the castle into Himeji Castle, completing the work in 1561. 

In 1580, Kuroda Yoshitaka presented the castle to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and in 1581 Hideyoshi significantly remodeled the castle, building a three-story keep with an area of about 55 m2.

More information: Earth Trekkers

Following the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Tokugawa Ieyasu granted Himeji Castle to his son-in-law, Ikeda Terumasa, as a reward for his help in battle. Ikeda demolished the three-story keep that had been created by Hideyoshi, and completely rebuilt and expanded the castle from 1601 to 1609, adding three moats and transforming it into the castle complex that is seen today. 

The expenditure of labor involved in this expansion is believed to have totaled 2.5 million man-days. Ikeda died in 1613, passing the castle to his son, who also died three years later. In 1617, Honda Tadamasa and his family inherited the castle, and Honda added several buildings to the castle complex, including a special tower for his daughter-in-law, Princess Sen.

Michelle & Silvia Jones with The Grandma at Himeji Castle

In the Meiji Period (1868 to 1912), many Japanese castles were destroyed.

Himeji Castle was abandoned in 1871 and some of the castle corridors and gates were destroyed to make room for Japanese army barracks. The entirety of the castle complex was slated to be demolished by government policy, but it was spared by the efforts of Nakamura Shigeto, an army colonel. 

A stone monument honoring Nakamura was placed in the castle complex within the first gate, the Hishi Gate. Although Himeji Castle was spared, Japanese castles had become obsolete and their preservation was costly.

When the han feudal system was abolished in 1871, Himeji Castle was put up for auction. The castle was purchased by a Himeji resident for 23 Japanese yen. The buyer wanted to demolish the castle complex and develop the land, but the cost of destroying the castle was estimated to be too great, and it was again spared.

More information: Japan Magazine

Himeji was heavily bombed in 1945, at the end of World War II, and although most of the surrounding area was burned to the ground, the castle survived intact. One firebomb was dropped on the top floor of the castle but failed to explode. 

In order to preserve the castle complex, substantial repair work was undertaken starting in 1956. In January 1995, the city of Himeji was substantially damaged by the Great Hanshin earthquake, but Himeji Castle again survived virtually undamaged, demonstrating remarkable earthquake resistance. Even the bottle of sake placed on the altar at the top floor of the keep remained in place.

More information: UNESCO

Himeji Castle was registered on 11 December 1993 as one of the first UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Japan. Five structures of the castle are also designated National Treasures: The main keep, northwest small keep, west small keep, east small keep, and I, Ro, Ha, Ni-corridors and kitchen. The area within the middle moat of the castle complex is a designated Special Historic Site.

One must learn, if one is to see the beauty in Japan, 

to like an extraordinarily restrained and delicate loveliness. 

Mary Ritter Beard