Himeji Castle (Himejijo)

Himeji Castle, the great white castle known as Shirasagijo ("White Egret Castle") for its gleaming plastered walls and elegant silhouette, is among the most photographed and painted landmarks in Japan, and Hasui's undated print captures its distinctive multi-tiered keep rising above the surrounding castle town. Built in its present form in the early seventeenth century, Himeji survived both World War II bombing and the 1995 Kobe earthquake intact, and its National Treasure designation makes it Japan's most celebrated surviving feudal castle. Hasui's composition likely emphasizes the castle's dramatic verticality against a clear or lightly clouded sky.