You’ll see the white plaster walls at Himeji Castle and Hikone Castle. Kumamoto, as an example of an earlier castle, has ...

Look up and there are ceilings decorated with black ... Castle’s volunteer guides and you don’t just learn about the crafting, you get a lesson in court etiquette and status in feudal Japan.

Himeji Castle with its white keep is one of Japan's most famous castles. But its beauty is deceiving. The paths to the keep follow the hill's gradient and hold many surprises for potential attackers.