Egret castle

Himeji Castle or White Heron Castle (Himeji) is one of the oldest surviving castles in Japan, and the most popular among tourists. In 1993 it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. In total, the castle complex includes 83 buildings, almost all of them are built of wood. At the foot of the castle is the town of the same name.
The construction of the castle at the foot of Mount Hime (Hyogo Prefecture, Harima Region) began in the middle of the 14th century (Muromachi period). "It got its name for its special refinement of forms and elegance, reminiscent of a beautiful snow-white bird." Himeji served as a revered model for countless castles of subsequent generations. Its high stone foundation, carefully whitewashed walls, loopholes, embrasures have become part of the arsenal of techniques of Japanese architecture.

The original castle, built in 1333-46, passed from one samurai clan to another more than once, especially during the civil war of 1467-77. By the end of the 16th century, when it was in the hands of the commander Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the castle was badly battered by civil strife and required major repairs. It was in the interval between 1601 and 1609 that almost all of its current structures appeared, over which the seven-tiered main tower rose to a height of 45 meters.

The renovation of the castle, initiated by the Toyotomi family, was completed by 1618 and led to the appearance of a whole bunch of auxiliary turrets, as well as to the redevelopment of the adjacent territory. The vast garden around the castle is laid out in a spiral labyrinth with many dead ends, in order to force the attackers to wander in circles for hours while shooting from the keep.

This ingenious idea has never been tested in battle, as after the completion of construction in this part of Japan came relatively peaceful times. Over the next two centuries, the town of Himeji grew under the shadow of the castle.
In 1871, the Egret Castle was taken from the owners and sold for 23 yen. At the end of World War II, the surroundings of the castle were damaged by bombing by American aircraft, but he himself remained unharmed.

Many films were shot on the territory of the castle. In one of the first Bond films, You Only Live Twice, he appeared as a secret ninja school, where missile weapons are being developed. Akira Kurosawa filmed here such masterpieces as "Warrior's Shadow" and "Ran". In 2003, the historical film "The Last Samurai" with Tom Cruise in the title role was filmed in Himeji.