Madchen's Blog Post 2/15

Today we went to Himeji Castle. As soon as we stepped off the train, its exterior was already in our view. It took us about a 20 minute walk from the station until we were met with the nice trees and the moat surrounding the very tall castle. I admired the wide open surroundings that lead to the castle, as it provided me with a lot of time to wander and take pictures of the buildings and shops that bordered the premises. 

Himeji was the site of the Harima Province in ancient times. Himeji Castle started out as a fortress built in the town during this time. Later, during the Middle Ages, the town became the seat of the shugo (provincial governor). While some theories hold that the castle's construction dates back to the 14th century, it's generally considered to have been built by Kuroda Shigetaka and his son Mototaka, who began construction of a branch fortress of Gochaku Castle in the mid-16th century.