living in volcan crater in Aogashima

HIMEIJI CASTLE. 

Simply one of the best tourist attractions of Japan.

There was a time when all major Japanese cities were defended by a feudal family, protected by magnificent castles with watchtowers, complex defensive systems, moats and concentric courtyards. With the unification and pacification of the country in the 17th century, most of these buildings have become obsolete and useless. The lack of maintenance has made many of them crumble. Between the end of the reign of Tokugawa shoguns and the restoration of imperial power in the 19th century, as many forts were burned amid riots. Earthquakes, fires and more American bombing during the War II put an end to what remained of the once mighty castles Nipponese. Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya, Fukuoka and Kumamoto, all left to have their symbols of power of the samurai in their original format. However, the most beautiful of all, the Himeji Castle, miraculously survived it all and is now listed as World Heritage Site by Unesco.

Its origins date back to the 14th century, but under the Ikeda and Honda clans he won his current features in the first decades of the 17th century his defensive system, with moat, confusing corridors and privileged positions to gunmen (rifles, bows and arrows or stones ) 



make the joy of war engineering lovers. One of his most curious physical characteristics is the fact that although the main tower look like from the outside, have five floors, it actually has seven floors. Inside there is a small museum with samurai swords and armor.

The beauty of the whole is such that it is often used as a film set for movies, soap operas and commercials, including classic tape Akira Kurosawa, as Kagemusha (1980) and Ran (1985).

There is a free guided tour in English. Inquire at the box office.

Warning: the castle is undergoing extensive work of reforms and will be partly covered by fences by 2015. However, much of their precincts will remain open to visitaçã