Day 22, Himeji

It was time for castles again. One of the most beautiful castles of Japan, still surviving in original wooden form, is located in Himeji. This is a city west of Kobe, and about one hour from Kyoto, by shinkansen. It is a typical castle town, with mountains on three sides, and the sea on the fourth. The castle itself was built at the end of the 16th century by Toyotomi, the ruler of the Kyoto region. Later he got beaten by Ieyasu Tokugawa (see Nikko story), and the castle was given to Ikeda, one of the generals that had beaten Toyotomi. He then enlarged the castle. Later ownership was passed from clan to clan, until the Meiji restoration ended the samurai era. After the Second World War, realization grew in Japan about the historical treasures they possessed. Therefore, the entire castle was restored to its former glory, of course using original materials (wood) and methods.

Nicknamed the ‘White Egret’ because of its color, the castle has a six-storey ‘donjon’, or main tower, which is estimated to have a weight of 5 million kg. All this weight has to be carried by wood only, so designing a suitable structure is quite critical. The main tower is surrounded by smaller towers, courtyards, walls, household buildings, curved storage buildings, a place to commit ritual suicide (important), and wells that were sometimes used to dump corpses in. In the past it was surrounded by 3 separate walls and moats. The castle was located within the inner ring, the second ring enclosed also the houses of the samurai, and the outer ring included the merchant houses. Several of these moats are still visible in the city plan, and they are even sometimes used as the basis for modern buildings.

A Japanese garden is located right next to the castle. This one is quite new, constructed in 1992, but designed according to classic principles. It contains lovely lakes, trees and rock gardens, and is a good place for a quiet stroll. A teahouse also lies within its walls, and for a small fee you can get some tea and sweets. A German tourist that I met yesterday had told me that it was worth it, so I decided to try it out. On my socks I walked to a tatami room with a nice view of the garden. There I had to sit on my knees, but because this is an incredibly uncomfortable position for a tall European like me, I was allowed to sit with my legs crossed (which is also uncomfortable, but I have gotten used to it). A moment later, a servant shuffles towards me, kneels and places a dish with something sweet in front of me on the floor. After a deep bow she leaves. Later this is repeated, but then with a cup of ‘matcha’, green tea made of powder. After I had finished it, a low chair was placed for me on the veranda, so I could watch the garden without constant pain in my legs.

It was already late when I got back to Kyoto, but luckily the station building has no shortage of food. The building is a sight itself, by the way. It looks very modern, with a 12 storey high glass front, and lots of steel. There is an escalator running from the ground floor all the way to the roof of the 11th floor, and it is covered by a glass dome. Next to it are wide stairs, which are sometimes also used as stadium seats for concerts held on a 4th floor platform. A hotel is built into the east side of the building, while the west side houses a department store, Isetan. To get back to food; the 10th and 11th floor are completely filled with restaurants. My personal favorite is the 10th, because it is filled with ramen places. As you leave the elevator, there is even a plaque listing the best three dishes of each restaurant with its price. I have already tried 3 out 7, and they are very good. Filled to the last spot, there are always queues outside. Also notable is the vigor with which you are given an echoing welcome (‘irasshaitemase’) on entry.

Furthermore, the building has a 10th floor skywalk, which gives a nice view over Kyoto. Station buildings in the large cities in Japan are legendary for the number of floors, the numbers of entrances and exits (and how you never find the one you need), and how they are always coupled with shopping centers. It can feel a bit weird, though, walking around a department store with a suitcase.