From the towers of the Hommaru, one can see the Hishi Gate and, further out, the trees and lawns of the Nishi-no-Maru. ImageCourtesy of Wikimedia user Oren Rozen (licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0)

从霍马鲁的塔楼上，人们可以看到西石门，更远的地方可以看到西宫的树木和草坪。维基媒体用户Oren Rozen的形象礼貌(CCby-SA4.0授权)

日本历史上的许多历史在宗派统治和统一帝国统治时期之间摇摆不定。在16世纪，大田大雄开始征服和巩固这个群岛不同的幕府，成为一个单一的国家，这个过程继续由他的继任者日本野田东雄(Toyotomo Hideyoshi)继续。在他名义上的统治下，到了1590年，整个日本都统一了；然而，由于没有足够的政治结构来真正控制这些岛屿，许多地区被委托直接控制当地的大名。

Much of Japanese history vacillated between periods of factional and unified Imperial rule. During the 16th Century, the daimyo Oda Nobunaga began to conquer and consolidate the disparate shogunates of the archipelago into a single state, a process continued by his successor, Toyotomo Hideyoshi. Hideyoshi was as shrewd as Nobunaga was tactical, and by 1590, all of Japan was united under his nominal authority; however, without a sufficient political structure to truly hold sway over the islands, many regions were entrusted to the direct control of the local daimyo.[1]

 This map from the Himeji City Castle Laboratory Collection depicts the concentric lines of defense surrounding Himeji Castle. ImageCourtesy of Wikimedia user ブレイズマン (Public Domain)

这张来自Himeji城堡实验室集合的地图描绘了Himeji城堡周围的同心圆防御线。维基媒体用户ブレイズマン(公共领域)的形象礼貌

在大雄和日良的统治下，日本进入了阿祖奇-毛山时期，以两位领导人分别建造的两座城堡命名。那是一个盛装镀金的壁画，精致的折叠屏风，以及日本茶道的兴起时期。1580年至1630年期间，城堡在日本群岛上的蔓延仍然是这个文化时代最突出的残余之一，许多围绕着这些城市形成的城市逐渐演变为省会。当日良于1598年去世时，对日本的统治并没有移交给他的儿子，而是交给了他的竞争对手德川一川(Daimyo Tokugawa Ieyasu)，后者后来任命了他的妹夫池田太郎(Ikeda Terumasa)为西部省份省长。正是在1609年，也就是茅山时期的阿祖奇时期，Terumasa选择了Himeji作为他的权力所在地，并着手建造一座与这个城市的新地位相称的城堡。

Under Nobunaga and Hideyoshi’s reigns, Japan entered its Azuchi-Momoyama period, named for two castles built respectively by the two leaders. It was a time of sumptuously gilded wall paintings, elaborate folding screens, and the rise of the Japanese tea ceremony. The spread of castles across the Japanese archipelago between 1580 and 1630 remains one of the most prominent remnants of this cultural epoch, with many of the cities that formed around evolving into provincial capitals. When Hideyoshi died in 1598, rule over Japan passed not to his son, but to rival daimyo Tokugawa Ieyasu, who subsequently appointed his brother-in-law Ikeda Terumasa as governor of the western provinces. It was in 1609, at the height of the Azuchi-Momoyama period, that Terumasa chose Himeji as his seat of power – and set about creating a castle worthy of the city’s newfound status.[2,3]

 Courtesy of Wikimedia user Oren Rozen (licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0)

维基媒体用户Oren Rozen(CCby-SA2.0授权)

第一次迭代的Himeji城堡是在1346年由Akamatsu Sadanori建造的，他在前一个政治不稳定时期寻找一个堡垒来对抗其他的大名。官方发展援助大本营后来在1570年代把这座堡垒给了Hideyoshi，并在此基础上扩大并形成了一座合适的城堡。然而，对于Terumasa来说，这还不够，他在阿祖奇的城堡上设计了他的修缮工程。与他的宏伟愿景相匹配的是，为了实现这一愿景，他付出了巨大的努力：在Terumasa的新的Himeji城堡的建造中，投入了超过2500，000人的劳动日。

The first iteration of Himeji Castle was built in 1346 by Akamatsu Sadanori, who sought a bastion against other daimyo during a previous period of political instability. Oda Nobunaga later gave the fortress to Hideyoshi in the 1570s, upon which it was expanded and formed into a proper castle. This was not enough for Terumasa, however, who patterned his renovations after Nobunaga’s castle at Azuchi. The grandiosity of his vision was matched by the sheer effort necessary to bring it into being: over 2,500,000 man days of labor went into the construction of Terumasa’s new Himeji Castle.[4]

 A period image depicts the labor needed to construct Ikeda Terumasa’s grand new Himeji Castle. ImageCourtesy of Wikimedia user ブレイズマン (Public Domain)

一个时期的图像描绘了建造池田Terumasa的宏伟的新的Himeji城堡所需要的劳动。维基媒体用户ブレイズマン(公共领域)的形象礼貌

这座由Terumasa在1601年至1609年之间建造的建筑群远远超出了中央的敦戎(防御工事塔)：和许多欧洲城堡一样，Himeji坐落在一系列同心圆的护城河和建筑群中，其中一些被包围和保护着城内城堡以外的部分。从外部大院桑诺马鲁到内尼诺马鲁大院的通道是通过河石门，这是外墙上唯一的入口。尽管有围墙，尼诺马鲁还是优雅而宽敞的，有一个称为三古护城河的大型长方形游泳池和一个名为“西贝利”的广袤的、翠绿的花园空间，在那里人们可以很好地看到城堡的主塔。[5.6]

The complex built by Terumasa between 1601 and 1609 stretched far beyond the central donjon (fortified tower): like many European castles, Himeji sat within a series of concentric moats and compounds, some of which encircled and protected parts of the city beyond the castle itself. Passage from the outer compound, the Sannomaru, to the inner Ninnomaru compound is achieved through the Hishi Gate, the only portal in the outer wall. Despite its enclosure, the Ninnomaru is elegant and spacious, with a large rectangular pool known as the Sangoku Moat and a wide, verdant garden space called the Nishi-no-Maru (“West Bailey”), from which one has an excellent view of the castle’s main tower.[5.6]

 A cutaway model of the main keep reveals not only the pair of structural columns that run the full height of the building, but the network of living quarters and defensive galleries that make up the tower. ImageCourtesy of Wikimedia user Corpse Reviver (licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0)

主看台的角形模型不仅揭示了这座大楼的全部高度的一对结构柱，而且还展示了构成这座塔的生活区和防御性展厅的网络。维基媒体用户尸体复仇者的形象礼貌(由-SA3.0认证，由CC授权)

隐藏在另一堵更高的墙后面的最里面的化合物-霍马路-几乎是由通向第二组门的狭窄扭曲的小径所造成的。在霍马鲁里面，有中央看守所-大藤树，两旁有三座较小的塔楼。[7]而海德司原来的护栏是三层楼高，而太郎沙则有五层楼高，有六层楼和一层地下室。厚重的石头地下室为食物和武器提供了储存，同时也保护了一口井；上面的楼层包括生活空间和有利位置，防御者可以从狭小的窗户射出箭来保护他们免受攻击者的袭击。一对木柱从地基上升到屋顶，为整个塔提供额外的结构支撑。

Secluded behind another, higher wall, the innermost compound—the Hommaru—is made almost inaccessible by narrow, twisting paths leading to a second set of gates. Inside the Hommaru stand the central keep, the Daitenshu, flanked by three smaller towers.[7] Whereas Hideyoshi’s original keep had been three stories high, Terumasa’s rose five stories, housing six floors and a basement level. The heavy stone basement provided storage for food and armaments, and also protected a well; the floors above comprised living spaces and vantage points from which defenders could shoot arrows out the narrowly-slitted windows that helped to shield them from their attackers. A pair of wooden columns rise from the foundations to the roof, providing extra structural support to the entire tower.[8,9]

 Courtesy of Wikimedia user Corpse Reviver (licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0)

维基媒体用户尸体复仇者提供(由-SA3.0认证的CC许可)

Himeji城堡以其美丽和防御性的独创性而闻名，许多旨在改进后者的功能也对前者负责，这是很合适的。(这并不是说它的吸引力是一个幸运的意外；考虑到像Himeji-Jo这样的城堡在周围的城市织物上非常显眼，Terumasa和其他大名诗人不惜一切代价用最好的工艺和装饰他们的堡垒住宅。[10]蜿蜒的小径穿过尼诺马鲁河，而美丽的樱花树和变幻的景色则是为了迷惑和减缓入侵者。小路上墙壁上的小开口将允许防御者用从沸水到致命射弹的任何东西轰炸他们的敌人。这些大门，包括奢华的河石门，是用狭小的开口建造起来的，阻碍了大群的发展。[11]即使是原始的白色墙也是一种防御措施：用灰泥将木结构涂上灰泥有助于保护建筑物及其住户免受火灾，陶瓷屋顶瓦片也是如此。有了这种战术流通和防御材料的结合，Himeji城堡不仅是一座优雅的宫殿-它几乎是一座坚不可摧的堡垒。

Himeji Castle is known as much for its beauty as it is for its defensive ingenuity, and it is fitting that many features meant to improve the latter are also responsible for the former. (This is not to say that its attractiveness was a fortunate accident; given that castles like Himeji-jo were highly visible from the surrounding urban fabric, Terumasa and other daimyo spared no expense in adorning their fortress homes with the finest craftwork and ornamentation.)[10] The winding path through the Ninnomaru, while picturesque with its cherry trees and changing vistas, was meant to confuse and slow invaders. Small openings in the walls lining the path would allow defenders to bombard their enemies with anything from boiling water to deadly projectiles. The gates, including the lavish Hishi Gate, were built with narrow openings to impede the progress of large groups.[11] Even the pristine white walls were a defensive measure: coating the wooden structure in plaster helped to protect the building and its occupants against fire, as did the ceramic roof tiles. With this combination of tactical circulation and defensive materials, Himeji Castle was not only an elegant palace – it was an almost impregnable fortress.[12]

 Although the choice of ceramic roofs was a practical form of defense against fire, it also allowed for the daimyo’s seal to be emblazoned on the end of each tile. ImageCourtesy of Wikimedia user Corpse Reviver (licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0)

虽然选择陶瓷屋顶是一种实用的防火形式，但它也允许在每个瓷砖的末端刻上戴米约的印章。维基媒体用户尸体复仇者的形象礼貌(由-SA3.0认证，由CC授权)

虽然Himeji城堡也许是日本城堡设计的高潮，但它从未见过战争或冲突。德川幕府的建立在日本国内促成了长期的相对和平，免除了防御其他大名的需要。13幕府1615年关于每个省只有一座城堡的法令导致日本各地许多类似的建筑被毁；Himeji城堡仍然是大约170座幸存下来的城堡之一，同其他省份一样，它也是该地区的行政和商业中心。[14]这座城堡在这一作用下繁荣了三个世纪，直到幕府结束和1868年新一届国民政府的崛起。Himeji城堡从未遭到袭击，在很大程度上与它在1609年完工时的样子一样；尽管1882年一场大火摧毁了大名的住所，但自1934年以来，随后的保护工作已小心翼翼地修复了这座建筑群的遗迹。[15]由于时间相对完好，闪闪发光的白日之久(Himeji)-乔-继续在关西省的山顶上占据主导地位，提醒人们日本动荡的过去。

Although Himeji Castle was perhaps the climax of Japanese castle design, it was never to see battle or conflict. The establishment of the Tokugawa Shogunate precipitated a long period of relative peace within Japan, obviating the need for a fortress to defend against other daimyo.[13] The shogun’s 1615 edict that there should be only one castle per province resulted in the destruction of many similar buildings throughout Japan; Himeji Castle remained one of the approximately 170 to survive and, like its counterparts in other provinces, served as the administrative and commercial center of the region.[14] The castle flourished in this role for three centuries, until the end of the Shogunate and the rise of a new national government in 1868. Having never been attacked, Himeji Castle remains largely as it did upon its completion in 1609; although a fire destroyed the daimyo’s living quarters in 1882, subsequent preservation efforts since 1934 have meticulously restored what remains of the complex.[15] Relatively unspoiled by time, the shining white Himeji-jo continues to dominate the hilltops of Kansai Province, a reminder of Japan’s tumultuous past.

 Courtesy of Flickr user Ben Kubota (licensed under CC BY 2.0)

Flickr用户Ben Kubota提供的服务(由CC到2.0授权)

参考文献[1]“日本-早期现代日本(1550-1850)”。大英百科全书在线。[进入]。[2]“日本-早期现代日本”(1550-1850)。[3]柯恩，亨利J.和特雷弗豪威尔斯。“世界上最伟大建筑指南：建筑杰作”。

References [1] "Japan - Early modern Japan (1550-1850)". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. [access]. [2] “Japan - Early modern Japan (1550-1850)." [3] Cowan, Henry J., and Trevor Howells. A Guide to the World's Greatest Buildings: Masterpieces of Architecture & Engineering. San Francisco, 2000: Fog City Press. p73. [4] McNiff, Gregory. "History." Columbia University. Accessed April 19, 2017. [access]. [5] "Himeji Castle, Himeji, Japan." Asian Historical Architecture: A Photographic Survey. Accessed April 21, 2017. [access]. [6] "National Treasure, World Heritage, Himeji Castle." Himeji City. Accessed April 21, 2017. [access] [7] “Himeji Castle, Himeji, Japan.” [8] Wilkinson, Philip. Great Buildings. New York: DK Publishing, 2012. p128-130. [9] Cowan and Howells, p73. [10] “Himeji Castle, Himeji, Japan.” [11] McNiff, Gregory. "Military Design." Columbia University. Accessed April 19, 2017. [access]. [12] Wilkinson, p128-130. [13] “Himeji Castle, Himeji, Japan.” [14] Mitchelhill, Jennifer, and David Green. Castles Of The Samurai: Power And Beauty. New York: Kodansha USA, 2013. p67. [15] "Himeji-jo." UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Accessed April 18, 2017. [access].

建筑师IkedaTerumasa，日本，〒670-0012兵库县，洪马基市，68类地标

Architects Ikeda Terumasa Location Japan, 〒670-0012 Hyogo Prefecture, Himeji, Honmachi, ６８ Category Landmarks & Monuments Client Ikeda Terumasa Project Year 1581