Confidence
| Field | Confidence | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Castle name | 99% | Center stylized black brush reads 姫路城; the top-right gold brush 登城記念 ("castle-climbing commemoration") matches the Nishi-no-Maru West Bailey gift-shop "tōjō kinen" gojōin; the three crests visible — Ageha-chō (Ikeda swallowtail butterfly), Maru ni Tachi-Aoi (Honda hollyhock-in-circle), and Hidari-mitsudomoe (Matsudaira left-three-comma) — match the documented "three-crest version (三家紋ver.)" sold there. |
| Date | N/A | Date column 年 月 日 left blank — pre-printed gojōin. Early April 2025 estimated. |
Identification
- Name (Japanese): 姫路城 (登城記念・三家紋版)
- Name (Romanized): Himeji-jō (Tōjō Kinen / "Three-Family-Crest" version)
- Type: 御城印 (gojōin / castle stamp) — castle-climbing commemorative
- Status: National Treasure + UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Issuance point: 西の丸売店 (Nishi-no-Maru West Bailey gift shop) of Himeji Castle
- Location: Himeji, Hyōgo Prefecture
- Date received: Date column blank; estimated early April 2025
Reading the gojōin
| Element | Reading | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 登城記念 | Tōjō Kinen — "Castle-Climbing Commemoration" | Top right, gold brush |
| 姫路城 | Himeji-jō (Himeji Castle) | Center, large stylized black brush |
| 揚羽蝶 (Ageha-chō) | Ikeda family crest — orange swallowtail butterfly with spread wings, the legendary Heike-derived crest of the Ikeda house | Top center, orange-red |
| 丸に立ち葵 (Maru ni Tachi-Aoi) | Honda family crest — three hollyhock leaves upright in a circle | Left/center, red roundel |
| 左三つ巴 (Hidari-mitsudomoe) | Matsudaira family crest (specifically the 奥平松平 / Okudaira-Matsudaira branch and others held Himeji) | Bottom right, red disc |
| 年 月 日 | Date column — blank | Left, small brush |
Three crests, three (of five) lord families
Himeji Castle's full Edo-period lord lineage runs:
- 池田 (Ikeda) 1601–1617 — Ageha-chō
- 本多 (Honda) 1617–1639 — Maru ni Tachi-Aoi
- 奥平松平 (Okudaira-Matsudaira) 1639–1648 — Hidari-mitsudomoe
- 結城松平 (Yūki-Matsudaira) 1648–1741, with gaps — Hidari-mitsudomoe + Go-shichi Kiri
- 榊原 (Sakakibara) 1648/1704–1741 — Genjiguruma
- 酒井 (Sakai) 1749–1871 — Ken Katabami
This three-crest version selects what the Nishi-no-Maru shop curators consider the "big three" lord families — Ikeda (the keep's builder), Honda (Sen-hime's husband's family), and Matsudaira (Tokugawa-affiliated Edo-period fixture). Together they cover roughly the first 80 years of Himeji Castle's Edo-period leadership.
Why "Tōjō Kinen" and not just "gojōin"?
The wording 登城 (tōjō / "ascending the castle") versus the more generic 御城印 (gojōin / "castle stamp") echoes the same naming convention seen at Matsuyama Castle (#04) and Osaka Castle (Book 1 #05) — it frames the visit as an achieved physical climb rather than just a souvenir collection. Himeji's keep is a 5-story climb with steep wooden stairs, narrow passages, and protective slits — genuinely a workout — making the tōjō framing apt.
About Himeji Castle
(See #10 in this book for full historical detail.) Himeji Castle is widely considered the most beautiful and best-preserved feudal castle in Japan. Originally founded as a fort in 1333, it was rebuilt by Ikeda Terumasa (1601–1609) into the iconic five-story keep with three connected sub-keeps. It was Japan's first UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site (1993) and remains one of the 12 surviving original castle keeps (現存12天守).
What it's known for
- 白鷺城 (Shirasagi-jō / White Heron Castle) nickname for its bright-white plastered exterior
- National Treasure + World Heritage — top-tier dual designation
- Most-preserved Edo-era castle complex in Japan
- Cherry-blossom season in early April — peak visitation
- Sen-hime no Naga-tsubone (千姫の長局) — Tokugawa-princess Sen-hime's residence in the 西の丸 (Nishi-no-Maru / West Bailey) — also where this gojōin was sold