The LEGO Group from Denmark is set to release set number 21060, "Himeji Castle" (ひめじじょう), in its Architecture series on August 1, 2023! In addition to celebrating the 30th anniversary of Himeji Castle's designation as a World Heritage Site, this is also the first official release from the Architecture series this year. The special press conference held in Japan deeply conveyed the Japanese people's love for both LEGO and Himeji Castle. Today, we at the Toy People editorial team are excited to enjoy this very adult-oriented set with all of you.
As a National Treasure of Japan and the most completely preserved castle, "Himeji Castle" is not only an iconic symbol of Himeji City in Hyōgo Prefecture but is also counted among Japan's Three Great Castles, alongside Kumamoto Castle and Matsumoto Castle! Due to its excellent state of preservation, Himeji Castle is a popular filming location for historical dramas and is also one of the most popular castles among foreign tourists. Its beautiful white exterior walls have earned it the elegant nickname "White Heron Castle." The official images of this LEGO architectural model alone are incredibly exciting, and the overall appearance is quite beautiful. So, let's not wait any longer and start building.
▼ The packaging features a predominantly black design, with the LEGO "Himeji Castle" itself printed on the front.
▼ The special logo in the top-right corner is another eye-catching detail.
▼ The back of the box showcases display scenarios of the LEGO Himeji Castle, structural details, and a stunning photo of the real castle during cherry blossom season! Man, I really want to visit Japan and see it~
▼ The completed model measures 32 cm in length and 19.5 cm in height.
▼ The top of the box features a line drawing of the LEGO Himeji Castle.
▼ Now, let's open it up and see the contents! Starting with the piece count, this set has a total of 18 bags of parts (numbered up to 17), for a total of 2125 pieces.
▼ One instruction booklet with a white cover, which also features a line drawing of Himeji Castle on the back.
▼ Opening it up, you can see a general introduction to the history and architectural style of Himeji Castle, along with beautiful photographs.
▼ The designer responsible for this Himeji Castle set, Chris McVeigh.
▼ Well then, let's start building our castle!
▼ Done! This Architecture series Himeji Castle is exciting both in its finished appearance and for the little surprises during the building process. First, let's take a look at this castle, nicknamed the White Heron, from various angles.
▼ The visual effect of the layered tan, white, and dark gray parts is truly stunning!
▼ The building process starts with completing the baseplate and the castle's foundation. This gives you a concrete idea of the final dimensions right from the beginning, allowing you to prepare your display space in advance.
▼ You can see that the base of the castle is constructed from dark brown and white parts, creating a structure somewhat like a tray. This also echoes the colors and wooden structure of the castle's interior.
▼ The interior of the third floor of Himeji Castle's main keep.
Image source: お城めぐりFAN - 観光日本の城
▼ This Himeji Castle set not only boasts a beautiful, distinctly Japanese exterior, but the design of the pathways throughout the model is also fascinating. The maze-like passages, once used to trap enemies, now serve as routes for tourists to fully experience the charm of Himeji Castle. In this LEGO model, the designer has put considerable effort into outlining the walkways. For instance, the building technique for this staircase is perfectly suited for a micro-scale architectural model!
▼ Many of the passages are small yet incredibly detailed like this one. The irregular changes in angles also make the building process more interesting.
▼ The angle of this sand green slope is rendered very realistically! So cool~
▼ To complete the structure of the Japanese-style castle tower and leave the loopholes (gun ports) between the white walls, a large number of 1x2 panel pieces with one stud on the side were used.
▼ In addition to the loopholes, the main keep extensively uses asymmetrical structures and offset building techniques to achieve high accuracy and a layered visual effect.
▼ The corner tiles of the main keep's roof are accomplished using a new 2x2 part, achieving a very authentic curve. It's worth noting that this is only the second new part specifically developed for the Architecture series; the first was the 3x3 corner piece for set 21010 "Robie House."
▼ The interior of the main keep is also built with brown parts. The top can be easily removed to admire the structure inside.
▼ The building steps mostly involve constructing the interior first, then assembling the exterior walls and tiles.
▼ Using boomerang pieces as awnings for the window structures is absolutely genius!
▼ The Shachihoko (mythical fish) ornaments on the castle roof are represented by simple claw pieces—very LEGO!
▼ Here's a small detail that gets covered up after assembly: a purple 1x1 piece, representing the purple curtain that covers the shrine in the top-floor room of Himeji Castle.
▼ It looks magnificent from so many angles!
▼ The prominent tan slope pieces represent the stone walls.
▼ The view from above is also fantastic!
▼ The stunningly beautiful main keep!
▼ You can switch between printed tiles with the Chinese characters "姬路城" and the English "Himeji Castle."
▼ There are two spots in the castle where you can swap the green trees for cherry blossoms. It would be even better if you could swap them all! If you have enough parts, why not try to recreate the beautiful scenery of Himeji Castle during cherry blossom season?
LEGO 21060 "Himeji Castle" Unboxing Summary:
The earliest official LEGO product with a Japanese castle theme can probably be traced back to the 90s set "6083 Samurai Stronghold." Although the popular Ninjago series came later, it leans more towards a futuristic sci-fi style. This Himeji Castle can definitely be called a completely new creation with an authentic Japanese architectural flavor! Using over two thousand one hundred pieces, it achieves a highly complete model that includes the gardens and the castle itself. In addition to the new parts and the clever use of existing parts for new purposes mentioned above, my personal favorite part was the offset connection process during the build. Each and every layer offers a marvelous experience. I wholeheartedly recommend it!
LEGO 21060 Architecture "Himeji Castle"
Suggested Retail Price: NT$5,639
Total Pieces: 2125
Expected Release Date: August 1, 2023
