Thursday 1 November 2012

Extreme Makeover, Himeji-jo Edition

The main donjon at Himeji-jo is closed until 2016 due to extensive renovations. Obviously, it's a shame not to see the complete castle in all its majesty, but they've gone out of their way to make the renovation itself available for viewing - and appealing. You can hop an elevator up about eight stories and get a closeup look at the ongoing restoration of the roof section. It's a view that won't be possible once renovations are complete. Japan - always able to turn a negative into plus territory.

The viewing area. Picture window, flat screen TVs and air conditioning. Hey, this renovation thing is awesome!


The roof in heavy repair and looks like the biggest toothpick structure ever built. Crazy complicated - 2016 isn't looking so far away anymore.

Roof tile restoration and a little demo of the process and tile styles. We especially like the little whip cream-like cement dollop on the tile, a nice touch.

Japan loves to show you what's going on by using miniatures. Are they dollhouse crazy? They had a few great models to illustrate the renovations. James couldn't resist.

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