Himeji Castle (The world’s largest ivory sculpture)

Exhibited on the first floor of the main building is “Himeji Castle (The world’s largest ivory sculpture),” which was built on a hilltop in a low-lying area by Terumasa Ikeda in 1609, the castle is also known as the White Heron Castle and lauded for its magnificence. The half-hipped gable of the donjon, windows arranged in pairs, and the supports of the roofs were constructed during the peak of castle building in Japan. All of the structures, including the stonewalling, are designated as national treasures. The piece is a reproduction of the castle reduced in scale to 1/50(Width: 250cm; Depth: 150cm; Height: 190cm; Weight: 155kg) of its original size and is the first art of its kind to be made in Japan with ivory.