Yoshitaka Kuroda, who built Nakatsu Castle, is known to many Japanese people as the military strategist of Hideyoshi Toyotomi. However, he was actually a working general and a secretary under Hideyoshi.
Location and History
Yoshitaka works hard for Unification of Japan with Hideyoshi Toyotomi
Nakatsu Castle was located in Buzen Province which is equivalent to the eastern part of Fukuoka Prefecture and the northwestern part of Oita Prefecture. The province was also the northernmost part of Kyushu Island which was connected with the Main Island of Japan through Kanmon Straits. The castle was built on a delta in the estuary of Nakatsu River flowing into Buzen Sea, in the central part of the province, by Yoshitaka Kuroda (he is more often known as Kanbe Kuroda or Josui Kuroda after he retired). He is known to many Japanese people as Gunshi or the military strategist of Hideyoshi Toyotomi who was the ruler of Japan in the end of the 16th Century. However, the degree was given by later people like historians, critics, and novelists, he was actually a working general and a secretary under Hideyoshi.
The range of Buzen Province and the location of the castle
The portrait of Yoshitaka Kuroda, owned by Sofukuji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
Yoshitaka was originally a senior vassal of a local lord, the Kodera Clan in Harima Province (now the southern part of Hyogo Province). When Hideyoshi invaded the Chugoku Region, which included the province, as a general under Nobunaga Oda, Yoshitaka supported Hideyoshi by providing his own Himeji Castle to Hideyoshi. After that, he did his best to help complete the unification of Japan by Hideyoshi. A famous story about him in the early stage is that he was confined for about one and a half years in Arioka Castle when he visited to persuade Murashige Araki who had decided to be against Nobunaga. While Hideyoshi had become the ruler after Nobunaga was killed by Mitsuhide Akechi, Yoshitaka worked at Hideyoshi’s beck and call. For example, he negotiated with the Mori Clan in the Chugoku Region to divide territories into each other without battles. When the invasion of Kyushu happened in 1587, Yoshitaka set the stage for Hideyoshi’s arrival by fighting against local lords or making them surrender.
The remaining stone walls of Himeji Castle Yoshitaka builtThe Portrait of Hideyoshi Toyotomi, attributed to Mitsunobu Kano, owned by Kodaiji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
Yoshitaka builds Castle in his territory in Bungo Province
After the invasion, Yoshitaka was given part of Buzen Province by Hideyoshi. His territory was small for his contribution so far, because, it has been said it was because Hideyoshi feared Yoshitaka’s potential power. However, some suggest that it could have been because Yoshitaka was a Christian which Hideyoshi had banned from spreading just after the invasion. Yoshitaka at first lived in Umagadake Castle, one of mountain castles which were common then, but launched the construction of Nakatsu Castle in 1588, which would be considered one of the Three Great Sea Castles in Japan, together with Imabari and Takamatsu Castles. Its location was decided by Yoshitaka for the convenience of the government and transportation, but probably also instructed by Hideyoshi. Hideyoshi’s other retainers also built sea castles in their new territories in the Kyushu Region during the same period, such as Kokura, Oita-Funai, and Yatsushiro Castles, which were used for the preparation for the invasion of Korea planned by Hideyoshi as well.
The remaining stone walls of Nakatsu Castle the Kuroda Clan builtImabari CastleTakamatsu CastleThe ruins of Yatsushiro Castle
Nakatsu Castle was also one of the earliest modernized castles with turrets and stone walls in the region. The Main Enclosure was in the center but along the estuary and had a gate directly to it, which is a rare case in Japanese castles. The Second Enclosure was in the front of the sea and the Third Enclosure was in the back. All of them were on the delta which looked like a folding fan. The number of the turrets was 22 at its peak, but the Main Tower was not built for some reason.
The old map of Nakatsu Castle, from the signboard at the site, there are the Second, Main, and Third Enclosures from above to the bottom
Did Yoshitaka want to be Ruler?
The highlight of Yoshitaka’s life came when the decisive battle happened in 1600 between the East Quad led by Ieyasu Tokugawa and the West Quad by Mitsunari Ishida after Hideyoshi died. Yoshitaka joined the East Squad with his son Nagamasa, who fought with Ieyasu against Mitsunari in the Battle of Sekigawara in central Japan. Yoshitaka himself stayed at Nakatsu Castle, and after he left, he captured castles in Kyushu, which other lords in the West Squad owned, one by one. The Battle of Sekigahara, where Ieyasu defeated Mitsunari, ended in only one day on the 15th of September. However, Yoshitaka continued to invade the region for about two more months until Ieyasu stopped him. Yoshitaka had already captured all the Kyushu Region with his allies except for the territory of the Shimazu Clan in southern Kyushu. This made people later speculate that Yoshitaka would have liked to be the ruler, but only he knew the answer. The Kuroda Clan was promoted to be the lord of much larger territory of Fukuoka Domain including Fukuoka Castle before Yoshitaka died in 1604.
The statues of Yoshitaka and his wife at the current Nakatsu CastleThe Portrait of Nagamasa Kuroda, the first lord of Fukuoka Domain, owned by Fukuoka City Museum (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)The ruins of Fukuoka Castle
Castle is followed by Nakatsu Domain which promotes learning Western sciences
Nakatsu Castle was followed by the Hosokawa Clan as their branch castle. The castle survived even after the Law of One Castle per Province, issued by the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1615. It is said this was because Sansai Hosokawa, the father of the lord used it as his retreat. The castle was finally governed by the Okudaira Clan as the Nakatsu Domain until the end of the Edo Period. A remarkable event during the period was that the lords promoted learning about the Western sciences through Dutch language, called Rangaku. Japanese people were usually not allowed to learn them because trading the Western items and communicating with the Western people were strictly limited. Only the trading with Dutch at the Dejima trading house in Nagasaki and visiting Edo by the head of the house every four year were allowed. However, the third lord, Masashika Okudaira started to promote it after seeing his mother’s broken bones were mended by Western medicine. Ryotaku Maeno, who first translated a book of Western medicine with his colleagues such as Genpaku Sugita, was the domain’s doctor. Yukichi Fukuzawa, who was a great philosopher and educator in the Meiji Era, came from lower class samurais of the domain but started in life by learning Rangaku.
The portrait of Sansai Hosokawa, owned by Eisei Bunko Museum (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)The portrait of Masashika Okudaira, owned by Jishoji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)The portrait of Ryotaku Maeno, from the book “Ika-Sentetsu Partraits” in 1936 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)Yukichi Fukuzawa, around 1891 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
Every time you go the castle, you will have a new perspective.
Features (The Large Main Tower)
The Large Main Tower has five layers, but its inside has six levels with a basement. The tower was built using the lookout tower style. This type of tower usually has a small look-out tower on a large-scale turret with hip-and-gable roofs. But Himeji’s tower looks smart and doesn’t have a veranda at the top floor that other look-out towers usually have. The tower is categorized as the late lookout tower type that would evolve into the multi-storied type later.
The Large Main Tower of Himeji Castle (the late lookout tower type)The Main Tower of Inuyama Castle (the lookout tower style)The Main Tower of Fukuyama Castle (the multi-storied type)
Its roofs are decorated with many Chinese style gables and triangular shaped gables. White plaster is painted thickly over its walls as well as the gaps among the roof tiles to protect against fire, that makes it looks like a white heron. On the other hand, it is also equipped with lots of machicolations and loopholes for battles. You can enter into the tower, but please note that you may have to stand in a line over an hour because the tower is very popular. In addition, only a limited number of visitors are allowed inside at a time. Unlike its gorgeous appearance, its inside is built very practically. The tower was actually built as a place just for battle.
The beautiful decorations of the Main TowerThe interior of the Main Tower (licensed by alisdair via Wikimedia Commons)
The inside has kitchens, toilets and warehouses to accommodate many soldiers for a long siege. You can also see how soldiers could use machicolations and loopholes inside. The Large Main Tower is mainly supported by two large pillars (the East and West). The West Large Pillar had actually been spoiled, so it was replaced with new one when The Showa Great Repairs were done in 1959. The foot of the East Large Pillar was also fixed then. You can now see these large pillars clearly above the third floor.
A kitchen in the Main Tower (licensed by Corpse Reviver via Wikimedia Commons)The West Large Pillar (taken by あけび from photoAC)
Features (Sides and Back of Castle)
The map around the castle
Himeji Castle has a lot of perspectives even in the sides and back. Let me introduce some of them. First, on the front foot of Himeyama mountain, you can see terraced stone walls which are piled with natural stones, a primitive method called “Nozura-zumi”. They are said to be built by Hideyoshi Hashiba or Kanbe Kuroda. They also surround Kamiyamazato Enclosure which is one of the oldest enclosures in the castle.
The old stone walls surrounding Kamiyamazato Enclosure
Moving to the right side of the castle, you can see the edge of the moat which is separated from the Inner Moat. There was the warehouse for freight called Uchisenba-gura nearby. This meant that the moat was used as a port.
The Inner Moat used as a port
The stone walls on the eastern side of Ido Enclosure are among the highest stone walls in the castle. In addition, the right side of the Large Main Tower is outstanding where you can see the great hip-and-gable roof on the second layer. The combination of them is perfect for a picture.
The high stone walls under Ido EnclosureThe right side of the Main TowerThe combination of the Main Tower and the high stone walls
On the back side of the castle, you can see another edge of the moat. In fact, the edge is the starting point of all the swirling moats in the castle. The back of Himeyama mountain still remains natural, so its appearance with the Main Towers has a unique perspective. The area around has the doubled Inner Moats as the second turn of the moats starts there and they offered strong protection to the back of the castle.
The start point of the moatThe Main Tower on the back of the mountainThe second turn of the moat
困難を乗り越え奇跡的に生き残った最高の城
The best castle that miraculously survived difficulties
概要～Overviews
姫路城は、その白亜の天守群を世界中に知られており、よく「白鷺城」という別名で呼ばれたりしています。大天守は、日本の城で現存している１２天守の中では最大のものであり、31.5ｍの高さ（天守台石垣を含めると45.35ｍ）があります。大天守、３基の小天守、その他の構造物と合わせた一体が国宝に指定されています。 Himeji Castle is known around the world for its beautiful group of white Main Towers and is often nicknamed White Heron Castle or “Shirasagi-jo”. The Large Main Tower is the largest one out of the 12 remaining main towers in Japanese castles, which is 31.5m high (45.35m including the stone wall base). The Large Main Tower, the three Small Main Towers, and the other structures on the property have been designated as National Treasures of Japan.
姫路城の天守群～The group of the Main Towers of Himeji Castle
更には、多くの曲輪、石垣、水堀など、城の基礎部分が、ほとんどそのまま残っていて、天守を取り囲んでいます。これら城の主要部分はまた、国の特別史跡に指定されています。27基の櫓、15基の門、32枚の塀という、数多くの建物がその基礎の上に現存しています。これらは全て国の重要文化財に指定されています。 In addition, the current structure of the castle mostly consists of a lot of enclosures, stone walls, and water moats surrounding the Main Tower. The main portion of the castle is designated as a National Special Historic Site. The remaining buildings on the structure include as many as 27 turrets, 15 gates and 32 walls. They have all become Important Cultural Properties.
天守を囲む櫓と石垣～One of the turrets and stone walls surrounding the Main Tower
その上に、この城は日本の歴史の中で重要な役割を担いましたが、それは後述します。その役割を終えた後でも、幸運もあったかもしれませんが、日本の人々はこの城を守り続けました。現在この城は、姫路市の最も有名で且つ大事なシンボルとなっています。1993年からは日本では初となる世界文化遺産にも指定されています。 Moreover, the castle had an important role in Japanese history, which I will describe later. Even after that role ended, the people of Japan continued to maintain the castle, although some people might say it survived by good luck. Now, people consider the castle as the greatest, most respected symbol in Himeji City. It has been a cultural site on the World Heritage List since 1993, which was the first case in Japan.
天守（正面）～The Main Tower (the front)
これらのことから私は、一般的に日本のどの城がベストかと聞かれた場合、それぞれの方に好みがあるにしても、それは姫路城ですと明言できます。 For those reasons, if I am asked from someone which castle is the best in Japan generally, I can clearly answer it is Himeji Castle, though each has his/her own preference.
立地と歴史～Location and History
姫路城は、兵庫県西部の播州平野にある標高45.6ｍ姫山の上にあります。この城は、最初は１４世紀に赤松氏によって築かれたと言われていますが、詳細は不明です。城周辺の地域は肥沃で交通の要所であり、山陽街道が通っていました。ただしこの城は、周りにある多くの城のうちの一つに過ぎませんでした。この状況は戦国時代の１６世紀、黒田官兵衛が城を所有していた時に変わりました。東には織田氏、西には毛利氏が姫路城周辺の地を狙っている中、官兵衛は織田氏に味方することを決意しました。官兵衛は、姫路城を織田の家臣である羽柴秀吉に差し出したのです。秀吉は、後に天下人である豊臣秀吉となります。 Himeji Castle is located on 45.6m high Himeyama mountain in the Banshu Plain, the western part of Hyogo Prefecture. It is said that the castle was first built by Akamatsu Clan in the 14th century, but the details are uncertain. The area around the castle was fertile and important for transportation where the Sanyo Road passed through, but the castle was among the many castles around. The situation changed in the late 16th century during the Sengoku Period when Kanbe Kuroda owned the castle. With the Oda Clan on the east and the Mori Clan on the west, aiming to invade the area around the Himeji castle, Kanbe decided to support the Oda Clan. He offered his Himeji Castle to Oda’s retainer, Hideyoshi Hashiba, who later became the ruler of Japan and subsequently changed his name to Hideyoshi Toyotomi.
城の位置～The location of the castle
黒田官兵衛肖像画、崇福寺蔵～The portrait of Kanbe Kuroda, owned by Sofukuji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
秀吉は毛利の領地を侵略するため、この城を根拠地とし、城の拡張を行いました。秀吉時代の城には三層の天守がありましたが、詳細はその遺跡が現在の天守の下にあるため明らかになっていません。城の基本的な構造はこの時代に確立したと言われています。1582年、秀吉と官兵衛は姫路城から100ｋｍ近く西方にある備中高松城を攻撃していました。そのとき本能寺の変が起こり、秀吉と官兵衛の主君である織田信長が明智光秀により殺されました。秀吉は直ちに西方の毛利氏と講和を結びます。これにより秀吉は、主には徒歩による移動で重い荷物を自ら運ぶしかなかった前近代の軍隊を、わずか３日で姫路城に戻すことができたのです。彼はこの城で準備を整えてから出陣し、光秀を倒した後、天下を掌握することに成功しました。 Hideyoshi was based at the castle to invade Mori’s territory, and developed the castle. The castle of Hideyoshi’s period had a three-layer Main Tower; the details of which are uncertain because its ruins are under the present Main Tower. It is said that the basic structure of the castle was established at that time. In 1582, Hideyoshi with Kanbe attacked Bicchu-Takamatsu Castle, nearly 100km away from Himeji Castle on the west. The Honnoji Incident happened where Hideyoshi’s and Kanbe’s boss, Nobunaga Oda was killed by Mitsuhide Akechi. Hideyoshi quickly made peace with the Mori Clan. This allowed Hideyoshi to quickly return to Himeji Castle within 3 days with pre-modern large troops travelling mainly by foot and transporting heavy items. He prepared and left the castle to beat Mitsuhide and was successful in taking over control of Japan.
豊臣秀吉肖像画、加納光信筆、高台寺蔵～The Portrait of Hideyoshi Toyotomi, attributed to Mitsunobu Kano, ownd by Kodaiji Temple（licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons）備中高松城跡～The ruins of Bicchu-Takamatsu Castle
秀吉の死後、豊臣氏に代わって徳川家康が1600年に実権を握りました。家康は、娘婿である池田輝政を吉田城から姫路城に移しました。輝政は後に姫路藩の初代藩主になります。輝政の役目は、大坂城にいた豊臣氏をいまだ支持するかもしれない西国大名を監視することでした。彼は1601年から1609年の間に城の大改修を行います。天守は、５層の大天守と３基の小天守に置き換えられました。これらは、渡櫓によりつながっていて「連立式」天守と呼ばれます。輝政は姫山の上にある秀吉の城の構造を引き継ぎつつも、多くの櫓、門、練塀、石垣を加えたのです。結果的に城は、小さな曲輪を複雑に組み合わせたものとなりました。例えば、今でも観光客は天守にたどり着くまで１０以上もの門を通らなければなりません。 After Hideyoshi died, Ieyasu Tokugawa got the power instead of the Toyotomi Clan in 1600. Ieyasu transferred his son-in law, Terumasa Ikeda, from Yoshida Castle to Himeji Castle. Terumasa later became the founder of the Himeji Domain. Terumasa’s role was to monitor the lords in western Japan, who might still support the Toyotomi Clan at Osaka Castle. He did major renovations to the castle between 1601 and 1609. The Main Tower was replaced with the five-layer Large Main Tower and three Small Main Towers. They are connected by the Roofed Passage Turrets, which are called Connected Type or “Renritsu-shiki”. Terumasa followed Hideyoshi’s structure of the castle on Himeyama mountain, but he added lots of turrets, gates, plaster walls, and stone walls. As a result, the center of the castle became very complex with combined small enclosures. For example, visitors must pass through as many as over 10 gates to reach the Main Tower.
池田輝政肖像画、鳥取県立美術館蔵～The Portrait of Terumasa Ikeda, owned by Tottori prefectural art museum (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)連立式天守：大天守(A)、小天守(B,C,D)、渡櫓(E)、櫓門(F)～Connected Type :Large Main Tower(A), Small Main Tower(B,C,D), Roofed Passage Turrets(E), Turret Gate(F)(licensed by Mukai via Wikimedia Commons)
更には、城は姫山の西にある鷺山を取り込んで拡大しました。鷺山の上には西の丸が築かれました。三の丸が姫山の南の平地に築かれました。城の水堀は、城の裏側から渦巻き状に広がっていました。一周目は、姫山の上にある城の中心部と、二の丸と三の丸を囲んでいて、内堀と呼ばれました。二周目は中堀と呼ばれ、武士の屋敷を含む区域を囲んでいました。外堀は、中堀の途中から分かれ出て、南方と東方にあった城下町までも囲んでいました。輝政は、現在私たちが見ているものと、ほとんど近い所まで城を築き上げました。 In addition, the castle was extended to take in the Sagiyama mountain, the west of Himeyama. The Nishinomaru or the Western Enclosure was built on the Sayima mountain. The Sannomaru or the Third Enclosure was built on the plain area to the south of Himeyama. The water moats of the castle started from the back and spread like swirling. The first turn surrounded the center of the castle on Himeyama, Nishinomaru, and Sannnomaru, which was called the Inner Moat. The second turn called the Middle Moat surrounded the area including warriors’ houses. The Outer Moat separated from the halfway of the Middle Moat and even surrounded the castle town on the south and east directions. Terumasa built the castle nearly like what we see now.
輝政は残念ながら1613年に亡くなってしまいます。徳川幕府は城主を、幕府の重臣である本多忠政に変えました。忠政は城の造営を続け、西の丸を改築したり、運河を掘ったりしました。西の丸は更に広大となり、多くの兵士を収容できるようになりました。よって、中心部の曲輪とは異なる広々とした外観です。。1615年に豊臣氏は幕府により倒されましたが、幕府は姫路城主に西国大名の監視を担わせ続けました。そのため、有能な人材を宛がうため、何度も城主は交替させられます。１８世紀の中頃からは、酒井氏が幕末まで城を統治しました。恐らくは社会が安定したからでしょう。城の創建以来、一度もここで戦が起こらなかったため、度々「不戦の城」とも呼ばれています。 After Terumasa unfortunately died in 1613, the Tokugawa Shogunate changed the lord of the castle to Tadamasa Honda, a senior vassal of the Shogunate. Tadamasa continued work on the castle such as improving the Nishinomaru and developing a canal. Nishinomaru became more spacious which could accommodate large troops, so it looks different from other central enclosures. Though the Toyotomi Clan had been defeated by the Shogunate in 1615, it still made the lord of Himeji Castle stay to monitor the lords in western Japan. For this reason, the lord of the castle was replaced by a capable person several times by the Shogunate. From the middle 18th century, the Sakai Clan continued to govern the castle until the end of the Edo Period. Perhaps it could be because the society became stable. No battles have occurred at the castle since it was built, so it is sometimes called “an anti-war castle”.
本多忠政肖像画～The portrait of Tadamasa Honda (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)明治初期の姫路城の外観～The appearance of Himeji Castle in the first Meiji Era (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
しかしながら、幕末になってこの城は初めての危機を迎えます。1868年に岡山藩などの他藩を含む新政府軍により包囲されたのです。これは酒井氏が幕府の要職についていたためです。城にいた武士たちは降伏を申し出ましたが、攻撃側は受け入れず砲撃を始めました。備前門という門の瓦が幾枚か破損しましたが、それだけでした。単なるパフォーマンスだったのかもしれません。その後城の武士たちは降伏し、城を新政府に引き渡しました。 However, at the end of the Edo Period, the castle faced its first crisis. The New Government Army including other domains, such as Okayama, surrounded the castle in 1868. This is because the Sakai Clan was in charge of an important position for the Shogunate. The warriors in the castle had sworn allegiance, but the attackers didn’t accept it and opened fire. Some tiles of a gate called Bizen-mon were destroyed, but that was all. It may have been like a performance. The warriors in the castle later surrendered and handed over control of the castle to the New Government.
備前門～The Bizen-mon Gate (licensed by Corpse Reviver via Wikimedia Commons)
その後～Later History
明治維新後、姫路城の一部は日本陸軍によって使用されました。三の丸周辺の建物は撤去されました。天守を含む他の建物も売られたが、買主は撤去する費用が高すぎたために権利を放棄したとも言われています。真相は不明です。もし本当なら、城にとって第２の危機でした。 After the Meiji Restoration, part of Himeji Castle was used for the Japanese Army. Some buildings around Sannomaru were demolished. It is said that other buildings including the Main Tower were also sold, but the buyer waived the right, because it was too expensive for him to demolish them. This story is unclear. If true, it was the second crisis of the castle.
1936年時点の姫路城の写真～The photo of Himeji Castle in 1936 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
1878年、中村重遠大佐が姫路城と名古屋城を保存することを陸軍に提案しました。その提案は政府によって認められ、城を維持するための予算が組まれました。これは、城が文化遺産として認められた最初の事例であり、画期的なことでした。1910年に明治の大修理が行われました。実は、天守がその自重により少しずつ傾いてきていたのです。 In 1878, a military officer, Shigeto Nakamura suggested the need to preserve Himeji and Nagoya Castles to the Japanese Army. It was allowed by the government who created a budget to maintain the castles. This is the epoch-making event that castles were considered as cultural properties for the first time. The Meiji Great Repairs was done in 1910. In fact, the Main Tower was leaning little by little due to its own weight, before it was repaired.
城内にある中村重遠の顕彰碑～The monument of Shigeto Nakamura in the castle (licensed by Corpse Reviver via Wikimedia Commons)
第二次世界大戦中の1945年、姫路空襲の時に最後の危機が城に迫りました。姫路市の市街地はほとんど焼き尽くされましたが、城は無事でした。焼夷弾が天守に飛び込んできたのですが、幸い不発だったのです。残念ながら、同じく政府により維持されてきた名古屋城は、爆撃により燃えてしまいました。終戦直後、姫路の人たちは無傷であった姫路城に大変勇気づけられたといいます。現在、２回の大修理（昭和と平成）の後、姫路城は往時のような輝きを取り戻しています。城のために大変な努力をした人々と幸運に感謝しなければならないでしょう。 The last crisis came to the castle when the Himeji Air Raid happened in 1945 during World War II. The town area of Himeji City was mostly burned, but the castle wasn’t affected. A firebomb was dropped into the Main Tower, luckily it didn’t explode. Unfortunately, the Nagoya Castle, which was also being maintained by the government was burned down by bombs. People in Himeji were very encouraged by the fact that Himeji Castle was still intact just after the war. Today, after two more great repairs (Showa and Heisei), Himeji Castle gets the brilliance back like its peak time. I think we have to be thankful for the great effort of the people at the castle and for good fortune.
空襲に備え黒い網をかけられた大天守～The Large Main Tower covered by the black screen to prevent from an air raid (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
