Enter Through the Form

Explore Japan

Authors Meryl Meisler & Francine LaPorte

Photography & Video Meryl Meisler

Castles of Japan Enter the gates of power; the past becomes your present.

Himeji Castle was adefensive fortress. It towers over castle town atop massive stone fortification walls dotted with small holes through which to throw rocks and hot oil at enemies. It is surrounded by a series of moats. It is called the "White Egret". It soars six stories tall and has 360-degree views of the surrounding area.

Spend time in the castle "A White Heron Outside, a Fortress Inside" http://himeji-castle.gr.jp/

Kanazawa Castle's Kenrokuen Garden originally belonged to the Maeda clan, the most powerful feudal family under the Tokugawa Shogunate. It is said to combine the six attributes of a perfect garden: spaciousness, seclusion, artificiality, antiquity, abundant water, and broad views. The aesthetic of a Japanese landscape garden requires that it reproduce natural scenery as it appears in nature. This concept reflects the ideal of living in harmony with nature, not conquering it. This is in contrast to European landscape gardens such as the one surrounding the Palace of Versailles, which seeks to create an original artificial landscape stressing human dominance over nature.

Nijo Castle was the Kyoto residence of first Tokugawa Shogun Ieyasu. This symbol of shogunal power and military authority was designed to overwhelm visiting lords (daimyo). In contrast to the elegantly refined Imperial residences, it was lavishly decorated with expansive gardens. The wooden transoms were intricately and masterfully carved, while the screens were painted by the Kano school artists utilizing much gold in the depiction of wildlife--particularly predatory animals, i.e. lions, tigers and hawks. The castle is distinguished by the "Nightingale Floors", which are so constructed as to betray the lightest footstep with a creaking akin to the bird’s call. The room where the Shogun held court was two tiered. The upper level was only for the Shogun in whom all authority rested. Secret rooms behind the red tasseled screen doors were for the bodyguards, should the need arise. All the lords sat on the lower level reflecting and reinforcing the hierarchical system. The rigidly enforced class system consisted of daimyo lords, samurai, farmer, artisan, merchant—in that order. All were subject to sumptuary laws according to their class.

Tour Nijo and other Castles; learn about the history, life and times of Sumarai society: http://library.thinkquest.org/C001119/tour/parse.php3?src=nijo and http://pref.kyoto.jp/intro/trad/isan/nijyo_e.html