Beneath the “White Heron Castle” lies Hideyoshi’s castle — and the first gold-leaf roof tile ever unearthed in Hyogo Prefecture is now on show in Himeji. The Himeji City Center for Buried Cultural Properties is holding its fiscal 2026 autumn special exhibition, “TOYOTOMI IMPACT: New Horizons in the Study of Himeji Castle in the Hashiba and Kinoshita Period”, until Sunday, December 20, 2026. Drawing on the results of excavations, it explores Himeji Castle in the era when members of the Toyotomi clan, starting with Hashiba Hideyoshi, served as its lords and castle wardens. Admission is free.
“Hideyoshi’s castle” beneath today’s Himeji Castle
Today’s Himeji Castle is based on the castle built by Ikeda Terumasa. However, traces of the earlier Toyotomi era are said to remain in parts of the stone walls and beneath the castle town. Old documents tell us that members of the Toyotomi family lived at Himeji Castle, but archaeological research is still only halfway there, and what the castle looked like at the time has not been clear.
The exhibition begins with life in ancient and medieval Himeji and the castles and residences that stood in the city during the Warring States period. Chapter 1 presents roof tiles, green-glazed pottery and ink-inscribed earthenware thought to be linked to the provincial government office of Harima, and Chapter 2 introduces finds from the castles and residences that served as bases for the provincial governors and local warriors just before Hideyoshi entered Harima on his campaign against the Mori clan in the Chugoku region.
Hyogo’s first gold-leaf roof tile, shown for the first time
The highlight is the gold-leaf roof tile displayed in the prologue. Tiles like this were used at castles associated with Oda Nobunaga and Hideyoshi and have been seen as symbols of power. This one was found during a 2025 excavation of the Himeji Castle town site — the first ever found in Hyogo Prefecture — and this is its first public display. It is a chance to see a “latest discovery”, unearthed only recently, up close and for free.
Chapter 3, “Hideyoshi Builds Himeji Castle”, looks at what Himeji Castle was like in the Hashiba and Kinoshita period, using eave tiles found beneath the main keep during the great Showa-era restoration, the older type of stone walls that remain within the castle, and excavation results from the castle town. It also introduces recent research suggesting that Ikeda Terumasa’s castle town was influenced by the earlier, initial castle town. In the epilogue, gold-leaf tiles from the Osaka Castle site and the site of daimyo (feudal lord) residences at Jurakudai are displayed side by side, drawing attention to what they have in common with Himeji.
A lecture and a “Conquer Himeji Castle” walking tour
Related events are also planned during the exhibition. On Monday, November 23 (a national holiday), Hitoshi Nakai, Professor Emeritus at the University of Shiga Prefecture, will give a lecture titled “Exploring Hideyoshi’s Himeji Castle” at the Japan Castle Research Center (free, capacity 180, advance application required, to arrive between October 20 and November 4). On Sunday, December 13, a historic site tour called “Himejijo Koryaku” (Conquer Himeji Castle) will visit traces of the Hashiba and Kinoshita period remaining within the castle, with commentary by specialist staff (¥300 per person, capacity 30, advance application required, to arrive between November 10 and November 24). For both, a lottery will be held if there are too many applicants. Gallery talks by specialist staff will be held on Saturday, November 14 and Saturday, December 19 at 10:30 and 13:30, with same-day registration. Check the Himeji City Center for Buried Cultural Properties website for details on how to apply.
Exhibition details
- Exhibition: Fiscal 2026 autumn special exhibition “TOYOTOMI IMPACT: New Horizons in the Study of Himeji Castle in the Hashiba and Kinoshita Period”
- Dates: Sunday, October 4 – Sunday, December 20, 2026
- Hours: 10:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30)
- Closed: Mondays (open if a national holiday) and the day after a national holiday (open if that day is a Saturday or Sunday)
- Venue: Himeji City Center for Buried Cultural Properties, 1st-floor exhibition room (414-1 Sakamoto, Shigo-cho, Himeji)
- Admission: free
- Lecture “Exploring Hideyoshi’s Himeji Castle”: Monday, November 23 (holiday), 13:30–15:00, Large Conference Room, Japan Castle Research Center (68-258 Honmachi, Himeji). Parking is limited, so visitors are asked to use public transportation
- Historic site tour “Himejijo Koryaku” (Conquer Himeji Castle): Sunday, December 13, 10:00–12:00, meeting and ending at Sannomaru Square, Himeji Castle
