Himeji Castle - Kokuin

Himeji Castle - Kokuin

刻印

This album is more of a placeholder since it is far from complete. I have gathered a few photos of kokuin I spotted at Himeji Castle over the years but I have yet to make a comprehensive survey for more kokuin or survey my hundreds of old photos. Kokuin typically signify a quarry where the stone came from, a mason who quarried the stone or the samurai in charge of the quarry or one with a specific quota of stone to fulfill. There are also a few cases of kokuin with special significance like the star which is meant as a talisman against evil in the "devils quadrant" (north east) corner of the Kesha Yagura.

Kokuin are typically associated with the tenkabushin castles. See Edo Castle Stone Quarries for more details(https://jcastle.info/view/Edo_Castle_Stone_Quarries). A few daimyo who worked on the walls of Edo Castle also took the idea back to their own castles when building or rebuilding the walls so you also find some kokuin at other castles around Japan if not as extensively as the tenkabushin castles.

Gallery

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Feature Pages

Main Compounds

Main Keep Interior

Nishinomaru Yagura Interior

Small Keeps Special Exhibit

Hishi Gate Limited Exhibition

To Yagura and Karamete Limited Exhibition

Outer Ruins

Middle Moat

From A Distance

Koko-en Gardens

Night Views

Kokuin

Heisei Restoration