Himeji Castle: The Stunning White Fortress That Broke the Enemy’s Will to Fight
Himeji Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is widely considered Japan’s most beautiful castle. Its dazzling white walls and graceful silhouette resemble a Shirasagi (White Heron) spreading its wings. But this beauty was also part of a grand strategy.
In the late 16th century, Himeji Castle became a key stronghold for Toyotomi Hideyoshi during his rise to power after the death of Oda Nobunaga. From here, the struggle to unify Japan spread across the country. After the decisive Battle of Sekigahara, Tokugawa Ieyasu rebuilt Himeji Castle on a magnificent scale. Standing at the gateway to western Japan, its overwhelming beauty and power were meant to remind rival daimyo who now ruled the country.
Himeji Castle was not only a fortress. It was beauty used as a weapon of power.
The Inevitable Tension between the Tokugawa and Toyotomi clans
As a son-in-law of Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616, 徳川家康) and a tough-as-nails samurai, Ikeda Terumasa (1565-1613, 池田輝政), devoted himself to refurbishing the castle as a master of castle construction over nine years, starting in 1601. This was just one year after Ieyasu's victory in the Battle of Sekigahara against his final enemy, Ishida Mitsunari (1560-1600, 石田三成), a very loyal vassal of Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598, 豊臣秀吉). Ieyasu was on the brink of fulfilling his dream to settle the upheaval of the Warring States period (1467-1590) that had lasted for more than 120 years. Despite Tokugawa’s victory, several feudal lords who had been under an obligation to the Toyotomi clan still held power in the western region of Japan. Furthermore, Hideyori (1593-1615, 豊臣秀頼), Hideyoshi's son, was still at Osaka Castle and could have succeeded his father as the next ruler of Japan. Therefore, Himeji Castle was expanded and renovated as an impenetrable military facility at an important traffic point from the western regions to Osaka Castle, to keep these lords in check with its majestic beauty and defensive power. Another reason is that Himeji Castle was Hideyoshi's primary castle stronghold in his quest to become the ruler of Japan. This was the affair about 20 years before the Battle of Sekigahara.
The Death of Oda Nobunaga
Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582, 織田信長) and his son Nobutada were attacked in an act of betrayal by Nobunaga’s own retainer, Akechi Mitsuhide (1526–1582, 明智光秀), at Honnoji Temple in Kyoto. This incident occurred just as Nobunaga was on the verge of bringing an end to Japan’s long period of civil war.
Hideyoshi was in the midst of a military campaign against the powerful western lord, Mori Terumoto (1523-1563,毛利輝元), the grandson of the renowned warlord Mori Motonari (1497-1571, 毛利元就). This confrontation was taking place at Bicchu-Takamatsu Castle (present-day Okayama Prefecture). At the same time, Nobunaga's chief retainer, Shibata Katsuie, was engaged in battle against the Uesugi clan in Echigo Province ( present-day Toyama and Niigata prefectures). As soon as Hideyoshi received the news, he made a rapid return to Kyoto from Okayama, covering over 200 km in just 10 days by traveling day and night. Shortly after his arrival, he confronted and defeated Akechi Mitsuhide at the Battle of Yamazaki, southeast of Kyoto. Meanwhile, Katsuie also withdrew quickly to his base at Kitanosho Castle in present-day Fukui prefecture, marching approximately 170 km from Etchu. Although his pace was even faster than Hideyoshi's, he was unable to reach Kyoto in time. This was largely because the main Hokkokukaido route had already been secured or blocked by Mitsuhide before the incident.
As a result, Hideyoshi was the first to avenge Nobunaga's death. This decisive victory allowed him to take a crucial step toward establishing himself as Nobunaga's successor.
The Money and Rice Stockpiled in Himeji Castle Brought Victory to Hideyoshi
Along the way to Kyoto, Hideyoshi stopped at Himeji Castle and distributed all of the money and rice stockpiled there to his approximately 20,000 officers and warriors, encouraging them to march nonstop to Kyoto. Hideyoshi’s army covered a distance of over 200 km in just around 8 days, marching at an astonishing speed of 25 km per day. Upon returning to Kyoto with remarkable speed, Hideyoshi rallied his troops around the cause of "revenge against his lord's murderer" and defeated Mitsuhide in the Battle of Yamazaki, south of Kyoto. Subsequently, Hideyoshi succeeded Nobunaga's successor as the ruler of Japan with his wisdom. (Note: Another theory suggests that Hideyoshi and some of his vassals traveled by boat across part of the Seto Inland Sea with weapons and other items.)
Ieyasu Fell Behind Hideyoshi
Meanwhile, Ieyasu heard about Nobunaga’s death during his sightseeing in Sakai City, which Nobunaga recommended to him. He quickly fled Sakai and made his way to his home castle, traversing the perilous path through Iga Province (though there are various theories about the route he took). This route was dangerous, being hunted down by farmers as defeated warriors. Ieyasu fell behind Hideyoshi in the race to defeat Mitsuhide. Consequently, Hideyoshi became Nobunaga’s successor. Ieyasu had to wait for almost 30 years, until the Siege of Osaka in 1615, to become the ruler of Japan. For Ieyasu, completely renovating Himeji Castle might have been equivalent to erasing the castle that propelled Hideyoshi to power.
No-War to Ensure Peace and Tranquility in Japan
Himeji Castle represented Ieyasu's desire to "win without fighting” through its overwhelming grace and impregnable defense. In fact, the castle had never been drawn into the battle since its establishment in the 14th century, even throughout the turbulent age of provincial wars that lasted for around 300 years. As you walk through the expansive and beautiful grounds of Himeji Castle, take a moment to reflect on both Ieyasu’s strategic vision and Hideyoshi’s remarkable wisdom as they ran through the Warring States period.
Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, Ieyasu Timeline
| Nobunaga | Hideyoshi | Ieyasu | Period | ||
| 1336 | Ashikaga Takauji estabilished Muromachi shogunate | Muromachi - Azuchi Momoyama (Warring State) |
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| 1467 | Onin War started (- 1477) | ||||
| 1534 | Nobunaga was born in Owari Province | 1 | |||
| 1537 | Hideyoshi was born in Nagoya | 1 | |||
| 1542 | Ieyasu was born in Okazaki Province | 1 | |||
| 1547 | Ieyasu was sent to Imagawa’s Sunpu castle as a hostage by his father | 6 | |||
| 1560 | Nobunaga defeated Imagawa Yoshimoto at the battle of Okehazama | 27 | 23 | 19 | |
| 1561 | Ieyasu made an alliance with Nobunaga | 20 | |||
| 1573 | Muromachi shogunate ended | 31 | Azuchi Momoyama | ||
| 1575 | Oda-Tokugawa allied completely defeated the Takeda clan at the battle of Nagashino | 42 | 38 | 34 | |
| 1582 | Nobunaga was killed at Honnoji by Akechi Mitsuhide | 49 | 45 | 41 | |
| 1582 | Ieyasu returned to his castle through crossing the pathless route | 41 | |||
| 1590 | Ieyasu moved to Edo according to Hideyoshi's order | 49 | |||
| 1598 | Hideyoshi passed away | 61 | 57 | ||
| 1600 | Tokugawa Ieyasu defeated Ishida Mitsunari, Hideyoshi's right arm at the battle of Sekigahara | 59 | |||
| 1601 | Ieyasu started the renovation of Himeji Castle | 60 | |||
| 1603 | Ieyasu estabished Tokugawa shogunate at Edo | 62 | Edo | ||
| 1603 | Ieyasu built Nijo-jo Caslte | 62 | |||
| 1610 | Renovation of Himeji Castle was completed | 69 | |||
| 1614 | The Winter Siege of Osaka between Tokugawa and Toyotomi | 73 | |||
| 1615 | Toyotomi's Osaka Castle burnt down to the ground at the Summer Siege of Osaka | 74 | |||
| 1616 | Ieyasu passed away at the age of 75 | 75 |
