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*''Location: [[Harima province]]''

*''Location: [[Harima province]]''

Himeji castle is among the largest and most famous of the [[castles]] which survive from the [[Edo period]]. Originally built by [[Ikeda Terumasa]], it later became the home of the [[Sakai clan]] lords of [[Himeji han]] from [[1749]] onward.

Himeji castle is among the largest and most famous of the [[castles]] which survive from the [[Edo period]]. Originally built by [[Ikeda Terumasa]] and expanded by [[Honda Tadamasa]] and [[Honda Tadatoki]] beginning in [[1617]], the castle later became the home of the [[Sakai clan]] lords of [[Himeji han]] from [[1749]] onward.

The main keep has five stories on its exterior, and seven floors inside. Known as a "coalition-style" or ''renritsu shiki'' keep, it is connected to three smaller keep towers by covered passages.

The main keep has five stories on its exterior, and seven floors inside. Known as a "coalition-style" or ''renritsu shiki'' keep, it is connected to three smaller keep towers by covered passages. After being reassigned from [[Ise Kuwana han]] to Himeji in 1617, the Honda family expanded the castle considerably beyond what the Ikeda had built. A west bailey called ''Chûshomaru'' was added, and housed the residence for Honda Tadatoki, heir to the first Honda lord of Himeji, Tadamasa. The Honda also built an additional tower called Keshô-yagura ("Cosmetics Tower"), and a separate residence just inside the Ôtemon for Tadatoki's wife [[Sen-hime]] (daughter of Shogun [[Tokugawa Hidetada]]); this residence was called Musashino goten.

==Links==

==Links==