Page 213 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide: Japan

HIME JI C ASTLE  211

VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
Practical Information
1 km N of Himeji stn, Himeji
. Main Tower city, Hyogo prefecture.
The current five-story Tel (079) 285-1146.
donjon was developed Open 9am–4pm daily (to
by Ikeda Terumasa in 5pm May–Aug). &
1609, trans forming a _ Matsubara Festival (Oct 14–15).
modest military strong- ∑ city.himeji.hyogo.jp
hold into a symbol of
the Tokugawa shogun ate’s Transport
£ Himeji stn, Shinkansen line.
newly consolidated power.
For more details about
the main tower see
pages 212–13.
0 meters 50
0 yards 50

KEY
1 West bailey (nishi-nomaru)
2 Sangoku moat
3 Second bailey (ninomaru)
4 The waist quarter (koshi-kurawa),
behind the main tower, is the
weakest point of the stronghold.
5 Main bailey (honmaru)
6 The suicide quarter may have
. Fan Walls been intended as a place for ritual
Samurai castles are notable suicide when it was built. However,
for their graceful fan-shaped it was probably used only for its
stone walls, which were very water supply.
difficult for enemies to scale.

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