Samurai Stronghold
Himeji castle at Himeji-shi, Hyogo prefecture, shows
the main building originally built by Hideyoshi, and enlarged by Tokogawa
Ieysau under the Momoyama era (1573-1615).Multi-leveled and relatively open
design of this castle is markedly different from
those built in Euope. The samurai were
sworn to protect such holdings.
Source:
Arts of Japan. A Complete Illustrated Guide H. Batterson Boger (New
York; Doubleday, 1964), 153.