Castles exist in many regions across Japan. These castles vary from masterpieces that last centuries unaffected by time, weathering or erosion, to castles which had undergone restoration.
For this post specifically, I would like to focus on the Himeji Castle which is situated in Western-Japan and known as a popular tourist destination.
Himeji Castle is widely known as the White Egret Castle -named after its striking resemblance to the bird, Great Egret- is one of the most famous in Japan as seen in the following articles: @Istillwannahavefun 【Seeing Himeji Castle in Japan】& @Kilink 【A old Japanese castle “姫路城”】.
The Himeji Castle was established in the 17th century. Despite being built so long ago the castle still remains as splendid as it was when it was first built.
It was built with the intention to protect against incoming attacks or invaders from the war waged at the time, as such the castle was intricately engineered to include battle equipment, traps, and maze-like paths. If you explore the Himeji Castle yourself, you will find that the doors and gates are oddly small in size - the gap is short lengthwise and the width is narrow. This was done purposely as it creates psychologically confusion in an individual.
Although the castle was built as a premeasure against oncoming invaders, it has actually never been attacked, as such you can still witness the Himeji Castle’s traditional beauty today.
As the castle is quite tall, within it lies many stairs and slopes. These slopes and stairs are difficult to climb and had been built this way intentionally in order to ward off possible invaders at the time. It may not be an easy feat to tour around the castle as a tourist, however it is a rewarding experience nonetheless.
The following is an image of the Himeji Castle my father took in 1979.
After a major restoration which took place several years ago, the exterior of the castle has been altered slightly - the colour of the walls and tiles have changed - despite these slight changes the castle’s overall appearance still remains the same.
The Himeji Castle is a landsight which almost every person living in Japan’s Hyogo prefecture has visited. This of course not only includes me but also my father, grandfather and greater ancestors. In spite of the dates in which we’ve visited the castle, I can say with confidence that we’ve all witnessed the same sight - the beautiful unchanging Himeji Castle.
In comparison, this is a picture I took of the castle in the summer of the year 2018.
The photo my father took of the Himeji castle was taken as a casual memoto. As such it was stored away in a photo album at home. For the fun of it, I tried to take a photo of the castle in the same angle and position.
The Himeji Castle is an icon that is recognised as a World Heritage site. It is a symbol that regardless of the generations that pass, remains unaffected by change which naturally occurs with time. As such it can be said that this castle holds a special place in the hearts of all Japanese people.
During this present time where Corona has created tough circumstances that limit our freedom to roam and/or sightsee, please share the photos that you’ve taken for those who are unable to visit these places.
【日本語】
日本各地にはお城が多く存在し、復元されたものから、壊されずに地域で守られて現代にも建ち続ける非常に立派なものまで様々なお城を見ることができます。
今回は、日本の関西地方を旅行する際に人気のお城、「姫路城」について紹介します。
見た目から（白鷺城：White Egret Castle）と呼ばれる姫路城は日本の中でもトップクラスの有名なお城であり、すでに @Istillwannahavefun さんの【Seeing Himeji Castle in Japan】や @Kilink さんの【A old Japanese castle “姫路城”】記事などにあるように多くの方が訪れたり話題にするお城です。
※記事のコメントで確認しましたが、日本語コミュニティーのモデレーターの @Ivi_Ge さんも訪れたことがあるんですね！！
城としては古くからあった姫路城ですが現在のような立派な城が建てられたのは17世紀初めのことで、時代を超えても地域で大切に守られ建設当時の雰囲気を残しているのが特徴です。
建設当初は敵からの攻撃を想定して、迷路のように入り組んだ道であったり、敵を迎え撃つための防衛設備が他の城以上に整えられました。城を散策するとよくわかりますが坂や道幅を複雑にすることで道を間違ったのではないかと心理的に感じさせる作りや幅が狭く天井の低い門などが多く見られます。
実際には建てられてから敵が攻めてくることはなかったので綺麗な形で現在も当時の時代の雰囲気を感じて散策することができます。
場内は階段や坂なども意図的に多く設けられており、観光の為に整備された現在といっても誰でも散策するのは容易と言うわけではありませんが本物の日本のお城を見ることができます。
古い写真は1979年2月24日に私の父が撮影した写真です。
数年前に大修理が行われたので当時の瓦や外壁色合いが今とは異なりますが姿は昔から変わっていません。
姫路城は兵庫県に住む人なら必ずと言っても良いほど訪れたことのある場所であり、私の父親ももちろん、お爺さんやそのまた上の世代も訪れて、私が見た光景と同じものを見てきたことでしょう。
一方で新しいのは私が2018年の夏に撮影した写真です。
父親が撮りためた写真は誰かに見せるわけでもなく家のアルバムに保存されており、せっかくなので古い写真と同じようにその場所で同じアングルの写真を撮ってみようと試みて撮影しました。
世界遺産にも認定されるほど有名で日本人にとっても特別な思いのこもったお城といえます。
地域のシンボルで世代を超えても訪れることのできるお城ということから私にとっても一段と特別な城であると言えます。
コロナ禍で外出をすることが困難な現在だからこそ、あなたが撮りためた写真を共有してみてください。
