Himeji Castle

Himeji Castle 姫路城
Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan
Himeji castle in May 2015 after the five-year renovation of the roof and walls
Type	Azuchi-Momoyama castle
Height	46.4 m (152 ft)
Site information
Condition	Intact, restoration work for preservation recently completed
Site history
Built	1333, 1300 (Himeyama fort/castle) 1581 (expansion) 1601–1609 (expansion) 1617–1618 (expansion)
Built by	Akamatsu Norimura (1333–1346) Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1581) Ikeda Terumasa (1601–1609) Honda Tadamasa (1617–1618)
In use	1333–1868
Materials	Wood, stone, plaster, tile
Demolished	1346 (demolished for reconstruction) 1601–1609 (demolished for reconstruction)
Garrison information
Garrison	~500 (Ikeda family, soldiers) ~4,000 (Honda family, soldiers) ~3,000 (Sakakibara family, soldiers) ~2,200 (Sakai family, soldiers)

UNESCO World Heritage Site

Himeji-jo
Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List
Location	Hyogo Prefecture, Japan
Type	Cultural
Criteria	i, iv
Reference	661
Coordinates	34°50′00″N 134°42′00″E / 34.83333°N 134.70000°E / 34.83333; 134.70000Coordinates: 34°50′00″N 134°42′00″E / 34.83333°N 134.70000°E / 34.83333; 134.70000
Inscription history
Inscription	1993 (17th Session)
Location in Japan

Himeji Castle (姫路城, Himeji-jō^?) is a hilltop Japanese castle complex located in Himeji, in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. 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.

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.