Himeji Castle with its white walls shimmering in

the sunlight like the feathers of a fantastic bird

seems to be rising into the blue sky like a great

heron. This impression has given it the name

'Castle of the White Heron'. The castle, which
has nothing martial about it, on the contrary, it

is extraordinarily elegant, is undoubtedly one of

Japan's most impressive fortresses. It was built

between 1601 and 1609, when the period of war

was almost over, and was used primarily for administration

and residence, with defence as a

secondary role. Thus its aesthetic impact was

as important when it was built as its actual purpose

as a fortification.

The main building in the castle is the Tenshu

or Tenshukaku in the northem part of the complex,

a wooden structure about 46 m high. Its

complicated intermediate roofs make it look

more like a skyscraper than a tower.

Himeji Castle represents an architectural type

that probably does not occur in other areas of

the world. Large parts of the building were

classified as 'Kokuho State Treasure' as early

as 1951, and others as 'Important Cultural Property

'. The building was placed on the World

Cultural Heritage list in 1993