Himeji Castle in western Japan began as a hilltop fort built by a local warlord of the Akamatsu clan. The structure seen today was largely created in the early seventeenth century by Ikeda Terumasa, who received the fief after the Battle of Sekigahara and rebuilt it as a large complex of keeps, gates and moats. Its gleaming white plaster walls have earned it the nickname of the White Heron Castle. It escaped destruction in the Meiji period, in wartime bombing and in earthquakes, and is one of the few castles in Japan to have survived in its original form. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.
Before and after
- 30 September 1342Battle of Morlaix
- 1343Birth of Geoffrey Chaucer
- 1345Construction of Ponte Vecchio
- from 1346 to 1859Principality of Moldavia
- 1346Construction of Himeji Castle
- from 1346 to 1352Black Death
- from 16 April 1346 to 1 January 1371Serbian Empire
- from October 1347 to January 1351The Black Death reaches Europe
- 1348Construction of Karlštejn Castle
More in Civilizations & archaeology
- 691 CEConstruction of Dome of the Rock
- 8th centuryConstruction of Borobudur Temple
- 1066Construction of Tower of London
- from 1206 to 1368Mongol Empire
- 1239Construction of Alhambra
- 1473Construction of Sistine Chapel
The era
This moment belongs to the Medieval world (500 CE to 1500 CE), kingdoms, faiths and trade routes. You can also browse everything in the 14th century.