| 3. Identification
a) History |
Because the area in which Himeji-jo is located (which is now Himeji City) has been important as a major hub of transportation routes in West Japan since ancient times, Toyotomi Hideyosi, who later unified Japan, chose this area for the construction of his castle in the late sixteenth century. Later, Ikeda Terumasa, who became lord of the castle in 1600 as a feudal load (daimyo) of the Tokugawa shogunate, destroyed the existing castle and constructed a new one. Most of the buildings remaining today at Himeji-jo, as well as the overall composition of the castle grounds -- divided into the inner walled zone (containing the Hon-maru, Ni-no-maru, Nishi-no-maru and San-no-maru compounds) and the outer walled zone surrounded by a double moat (inner and outer moats) --date back to the time of Ikeda Terumasa (Appendices 5-1 and 6). At that time the castle complex included fortification structures (the donjon, keeps, turrets, and the fortified earthen walls) and residential buildings (the palace and residences for the castle lord and the warriors). One section of the Nishi-no-maru compound (the west bailey) was remodeled by Honda Tadamasa, who became lord of the castle in 1617, to provide residential quarters for his new wife, the daughter of Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. Around the outside of the castle a joka-machi (castle town) was formed and, even though the castle lords changed, the castle functioned continuously as the center of the feudal domain for 270 years. When the Shogunate fell in 1868 and was replaced by a new national government, many castles in different parts of Japan were destroyed, but Himeji castle was taken over as part of the military land controlled by the new government. And one of the palaces which was located in the Nishi-no-maru compound (the west bailey), as well as the other residential buildings in the outer walled zone (the houses of the warriors) were removed (either relocated or demolished) and replaced by military headquarters facilities. However, the major group of buildings in the inner walled zone, including the group of donjon and keeps, were left as they were (Appendix 5-2). Moreover, although destruction of castle properties elsewhere was extensive, as well as the disposal of property by sale, the property at the Himeji-jo was conserved by the efforts of persons connected with the army, including Colonel Nakamura Shigeto. The property was designated as an Historic Site in 1929 by the Law for the Preservation of Historic Sites, Places of Scenic Beauty and Natural Monuments, which was enacted in 1919. It was also designated as a National Treasure in 1931 by the National Treasures Preservation Law, enacted in 1929. In this way, the path was paved to conserve the property as a cultural property. These laws have been succeeded by the present Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties. With the virtual dissolution of the military establishment following Japan's defeat in World War II, the military facilities were demolished and replaced by public buildings to house government agencies. The group of original buildings at the center of the inner walled zone of the castle was left unchanged and has continued to be well conserved. (The castle itself was not damaged during the war.) With regard to natural disasters, the property has not suffered any damage due to earthquakes since the time of its construction. Some of the roof tiles and portion of the walls of the buildings have been damaged several times by typhoons, but the extent of damage has not been significant. Appendix 5: Old maps of Himeji City 5-1. 19th century map of the Himeji City (joka-machi/castle town) showing the condition in the late 17th century 5-2. 1931 Map of the Himeji City |
