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After the end of the Sengoku Period, which was characterized by many
wars between local lords, castles began to have an added function that of serving as the center of
government. Defense was not the sole function. The construc-tion of castles began to flourish,
and numerous castles were built
throughout Japan. During this castle building period, the present
looking Himeji Castle was built. It
was one of the castles of primary importance to the Shogun, hence Himeji
Castle was intended to
show to the independent lords of Western Japan the power and influence
of the lord of Himeji
Castle. In its use as the center of government, as a fortress, and as an
exhibition of power, Himeji
Castle is one of the best examples. Of all the castles built during the
time that Himeji Castle was
built, Himeji Castle is the only one that has retained the atmosphere of
the original castle.
From the standpoint of esthetically pleasing architecture, Himeji Castle
marks an epoch of Japanese
architecture. The five-storied main donjon together with the three
smaller donjons one on the east,
one on the west, and one on the northwest forms a magnificent shape
which gives the effect, from
any viewpoint, of a lovely white heron ready to fly into the blue sky.
There are two styles of gables, peaked and undulating, and two styles of
windows, square and
bell-shaped, and their placement has added to the beautiful harmony of
the entire structure. Himeji
Castle is a magnificent example of the peak of castle architecture in
Japan.
Devices for Defense
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When building a castle, one must consider the importance of using the
natural resources of the
vicinity and the proper placement of the buildings. According to
geography, castles may be
classified into three types: mountain castles, hill castles, and plains
castles. Himeji Castle is a hill
castle. The placement of the moat, the stone wall of defense, the gate,
and the buildings themselves
is called the nawabari; and the nawabari determines the fate of the
castle. Himeji Castle had an inner
moat, a middle moat, and an outer moat which gave it a three fold line
of defense. Inside the inner
moat, the only moat that can be presently seen, the nawabari was
minutely designed to prevent the
enemy intruders from entering the donjons. Therefore, Himeji Castle can
be said to be an excellent
castle from the standpoint of defense.
Gates
The gate shut off the road and played an
important role in
strengthening the defense of the castle.
There were many kinds
of gates. The entrance gates were large,
strong, and imposing,
but the gates near the donjon were small and
very strong. Not
many people at one time could enter a gate
near a donjon.
Moats and Walls
Moats were the first line of defense. Himeji Castle originally had
three moats: an inner, a middle, and an outer moat. The moats
were always kept full of water to prevent the enemy from
crossing.
Stone walls also played an important defensive part. According
to the nawabari, different sizes and strengths of walls were built
for a variety of aims and defense.
Other Means of Defense
Sama
A SAMA is a hole, either a circle,
rectangle,
triangle, or square, built into the
wall so that a gun
or an arrow could be shot through
the hole at the
enemy. Many such holes were built
into the walls.
The rectangular holes were for use
by the archers,
whereas guns were shot through the
circle,
square, or triangle.
The Ishiotoshi
ISHIOTOSHI was an opening through which stones could
be thrown or boiling water poured to prevent the enemy
from scaling the wall. Many such openings were strategically
placed. In the donjon they were placed on the first floor in
the walls that overlooked great heights. They were also
placed in the outer walls of the corridors that connected the
turrets.