week6 structure

Hello, today, I would explain Himeji Castle’ structure.

Big castle, when it was built to make war, we think it has a secret passage or street to protect a lord and princess.

A well was though a secret passage or street. In the old day, Himeji Castle had 33 wells. In the present time, Himeji Castle has 13 wells. One of them was called a secret passage.

Especially, we think that the well nearest a castle tower is a secret passage. A  TV station and a newspaper company researched many times. But, as a result, this well is a drain.

A well as a secret passage was used by a ninja.

Himeji Castle has many systems to make war. The best things of Himeji Castle is if an enemy attacked, they could not go to a castle tower, because the route to a castle tower is a maze. Himeji Castle looks very beautiful like kind of woman, but a roped-off area never be attacked.

Let’s take now, I talk about a castle tower. A castle tower develop from a watchtower, it is building to see distance. For the first time, a castle tower put a watchtower like a palace on a tower. A tower of a lower and a upper were different design, so it was lost balance. This style is called “a watchtower model castle tower”

Later, A castle tower became keeping balance like a five-storied pagoda. This style is called “layer tower model castle tower ”

Lengh of Himeji Castle’s castle tower is 30 meter. It was put on a stone wall of tower units its lengh is 15 meter. When we watch Himeji Castle from the outside, A castle tower is five layers. But to tell the truth, watchtower of three layers are put on tower of two layers.

The inside of a castle tower is different of five layers of outside. It is one stories below and six above the ground. The stone of tower units see from outside is the basement.

A castle tower is battle place at the end of war. They stay indoors. Any flower is devised to make war. Only the top floor, it is six, is made like a Japanese –style drawing room, because the top floor is watchtower to see distance and a palace.

Himeji castle has many stones. Stones make the castle looked castle. Stone was called a fort. Way of pile is different in any place. There are three kinds of it.

First it is “Nozurazumi(野面積み)”. Size of stone is irregular, so it could pile up high. Small stones are into an opening to keep balance.

Second, it is “Uchikomihagi(打ち込みはぎ)”. They beat natural stones with a hummer to shave a corner of stones. This way can pile up high and steepness.

Third, it is “Kirikomihagi(切り込みはぎ)”. They shave stones to make a quadrangle. This way can pile up with no opening. This way is new style.

Do you understand about Himeji Castle’s structure?

See you next week!