Himeji Castle Travel Guide

Himeji Castle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Himeji and is also known as White Heron Castle due to its elegantly tall, white appearance. It is considered one of Japan’s most spectacular castles and is praised for its well preserved grounds and is an awesome sight to behold. It’s one of the twelve castles in Japan that has never been destroyed by earthquakes, war, or fire, although it has had renovation work over the years as you would expect from a castle that’s many centuries old.

The first fortification on the site was completed in the 1400s and was gradually enlarged over the following centuries, and the castle complex that survives today is over 400 years old, having been completed in 1609. There are over eighty buildings that make up the complex, sprawling across multiple baileys that are connected via winding paths and gates. Of course, like a lot of Japan, the castle is spectacular during spring while the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, or in the autumn with the changing of the leaves.