The famous haunted castle is located in Hyogo Prefecture in the historic Japanese region of Harima. Since 2015, it has been open to the public after a lengthy restoration. Himeji-jo, or White Heron Castle, is one of the oldest in Japan. It is also popular with tourists because of a long-standing legend.
The castle was built for 12 years, the date of its foundation is 1609. Now it is a National Treasure of Japan, and since 1993 it has also been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The entire Himeji-jo castle complex consists of 83 buildings, almost all of them are wooden.
Wooden gate inside the castle.
The castle got its name "White Heron" due to its perfected forms and elegance. It was this castle that subsequently served as a model for many other Japanese castles over time. Some elements have become common techniques in Japanese architecture.
Himeji-jo.
At the very beginning of its history, the castle often became the property of different samurai clans. As a result, due to civil strife, the castle lost its original appearance and needed major repairs. It was as a result of the subsequent renovation that the castle acquired the appearance it has today. The garden was also rebuilt, which was made in the form of a spiral labyrinth with dead ends - so that during the offensive, enemies would walk around the castle for a long time in search of the right path, while the soldiers could shell them from the main defense tower.
Himeji-jo and the castle courtyard.
But such an interesting architectural solution was not destined to become used for its intended purpose - immediately after the completion of construction in this part of Japan, the long-awaited peace came.
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In 1871, Himeji-jo was seized from the owners and sold for only 23 yen. The castle was not damaged in World War II, although its surroundings were bombed by American aircraft. Subsequently, several films were filmed on the territory of the castle. The most famous of them - one of the first parts of the Bond film "You Only Live Twice", "Shadow of a Warrior", "Ran", "The Last Samurai".
A still from the movie You Only Live Twice.
But the most famous film associated with this Japanese castle is the cult American horror film The Ring, filmed in 2002. It was a remake of the Japanese film of the same name, based on the novel. The story described in the novel - about the bringing of a girl named Sadako, killed by her own father and thrown into the well of the house - echoes the legend associated with the Himeji-jo castle. It tells about a maid who was tortured to death, who was accused of theft and thrown into a well located on the territory of the castle.
Still from the movie * Call *.
The girl, whose name was Okika, fell in love with one of the samurai of the castle. And when her master, also a samurai, became a participant in a conspiracy against his master, Okika found out about this and told her lover. Thanks to this, her master's plans failed. But he poured all his anger from an unrealized venture on the servant's head and accused her of stealing jewelry. At that time, it was a crime for which they were punished with execution. Okiku was executed, and the girl's body was thrown into a well. After that, from the depths of the well at night, they allegedly began to hear women's crying.
Okiku-Ido, Okiku well in Himeji Castle.
This story about Okiku is quite popular in Japan and the legend has other narratives recorded by folklorists. For example, there is a variation in which Okiku is the maid. Her mistress, out of jealousy, breaks a valuable dish or plate, the responsibility for which lies with Okiku - and the girl commits suicide because of this. Then her ghost appears, which begins to constantly count the plates. From this, the mistress herself is already going crazy and dying.
Castle and view of the city of the same name Himeji.
Another surprising fact is that Himeji-jo Castle has never suffered from earthquakes, wars, or fires. To see this classic example of Japanese architecture with its own ghost, you need to take a train from Tokyo and be there in 4 hours. And if you leave Osaka, then the travel time will be halved.