Himeji Castle ( ) is a hilltop Japanese castle complex situated in Himeji, a city in the Hyōgo Prefecture of Japan. The castle is regarded as the finest surviving example of prototypical Japanese castle architecture, comprising a network of 83 rooms with advanced defensive systems from the feudal period. The castle is frequently known as Hakuro-jō or Shirasagi-jō because of its brilliant white exterior and supposed resemblance to a bird taking flight.
Image: Himeji castle in may 2015
Image: Himeji Castle Aerial photograph 2010
Front view of the castle complex
The "Three Country Moat" in the centre of the castle complex
Japanese castles are fortresses constructed primarily of wood and stone. They evolved from the wooden stockades of earlier centuries and came into their best-known form in the 16th century. Castles in Japan were built to guard important or strategic sites, such as ports, river crossings, or crossroads, and almost always incorporated the landscape into their defenses.
Himeji Castle, a World Heritage Site in Hyōgo Prefecture, is the most visited castle in Japan.
Tsuyama Castle was a typical hilltop castle.
The reconstructed western gate of Ki castle
A image of the Katsurayama Castle, destroyed during the Siege of Katsurayama in March 1557