Preparing for castle-viewing…
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Francois: There
aren’t many, are there?
.
Kenzo: There’s
more than a hundred now but in their heyday, more than five thousand.
.
Francois: They
were built as forts, right?
.
Kenzo:
Originally, they guarded strategic points, like crossroads and rivers. Later
they became administrative buildings, and palatial residences for daimyo.
.
Francois: Built
of stone?
.
 |
| Le |
Kenzo: The base
was generally rocks. But the keep was usually wood.
.
Francois: I like
wooden buildings.
.
Kenzo: But many
wooden buildings burned down, and they were largely rebuilt in modern times in
concrete.
.
Francois: And I
guess cannons destroyed a lot of them?
.
Kenzo: Actually
no. Japanese firearms, arquebuses, were rarer and weaker than European cannons.
More emphasis was placed on laying siege, cutting off supplies to the castle.
It was thought more honorable for battles to be fought outside the castle.
.
 |
| La |
Francois: They’re
very strong looking and exert a military masculine atmosphere.
.
Kenzo: The black
ones do, but the white castles, such as Himeji, are said to project a more
feminine air.
_____________
Voice-over
Francois’s
perceptions of a Japanese castle seem to be influenced by his experience of
European castles. Some travelers view the sights through stereotypical glasses.
...
