Himeji Castle at the Start of the 19th Century

The ridge ends of the main tower are decorated with two shachihoko tile sculptures. Shachihoko (mythical creatures with a dragon's head and a fish's body) symbolized the power of the caslte lord and, it was said, protected the castle from fire.

The castle walls also stopped enemy soldiers. The higher they scaled the wall, the steeper their climb--the top is almost vertical. This curved effect is called ogi-no-kobai .

The wall has holes to shoot at the enemy from inside. Holes for muskets were round, rectangular or polygonal.

left: The Mizunogo-mon Gate guards the entrance to the main tower. The gate is formidable--windows with iron grids, secret holes for shooting, and door planks covered with iron.
right: The primary supports for the main tower are two pillars that rise from the foundation to the bottom of the 6th floor. The pillars are on the tower's western and eastern sides, and help keep the entire tower in a stable equilibrium.