I found the construction of the concept of “tradition” is a process of recreating and re-imaging the history, which is similar to what Markus Oedewald argued in his work that what we believe to be a “tradition’ is “an intentionally selective version of a shaping past and a pre-shaped present, which is then powerfully operative in the process of social and cultural definition and identification.”
So what is intentionally selected in the narrative of Himeji Castle? From my perspective, it is a love story of a beautiful, brave, and noble princess in the warring states. The princess suffered a heart-breaking loss of her first husband, but then fall in love with Honda Tadatoki at first sight. It says, in the travel brochure, that “it is one of rare true love story… after they got married they lived in Himeji and spent happy days.” However, when visiting the West Bailey, I saw another story that contradicts to what is written in the brochure. There is a room in West Bailey that introduces Princess Sen’s devoutness to Buddhism. It says because she lost her son and suffered miscarriage for few times in the following year before her husband died. After losing her husband and her only son, she cut her hair and moved into a temple, where she raised her only daughter alone, she dedicated herself whole-heartily to Buddha and pray for the prosperity of her family. It says that although the princess prayed for another son for many years after she lost her son, her impassionate plea has never been answered. It seems that “happy days” Princess Sen and Honda Tadatoki have is more of a product of people’s wishful thinking. Indeed, Princess Sen lost her beloved families and spent the rest of her life in solitary. The romantic stories always add mysterious beauty to the castle, while the contemporary imaginations are trying to further promote this romanization. The story of Princess Sen and Honda Tadatoki passed on generations by generations, the narratives continue to evolve as the cultural image of the Himeji Castle changes in different periods. Without looking at the brochure, I would image the Main Keep being a place where lord and princess live, but instead, the Main Keep is actually a military base, different from my imagination. Thus myself experience the influence of carefully selected cultural images, and my visit to Himeji Castle resonates the Horner’s idea that “ culture is continually re-created by the people who live it, and it is this very quality of inventiveness that gives culture its power.”
Himeji Castle
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