Breakaway Destination Guides (International)

Himeji Castle is widely considered Japan's most spectacular castle. Unlike many other Japanese castles, Himeji Castle was never destroyed in wars, earthquakes or fires and survives in its original form. It is both, a national treasure and a UNESCO world heritage site.

North-west of Osaka

The finest castle in Japan

Hyogo Prefectural Museum of History, Otokoyama Senhime Shrine (Princess Sen's Shrine) the city museum of literature and art, Engyoji temple complex and the Inland Sea

Climb to the top of the daitenshu donjon for a spectacular view

The city featured in the James Bond film 'You Only Live Twice'

Himeji lies north-west of Osaka and contains the most impressive fortress in Japan. There has been a fortress here since the early fourteenth century but the existing complex was built by Ikeda Terumasa in the early seventeenth century. It is designed to look like the shape of a bird in flight and is often known as Shirasagijo, the white egret castle.

This fantastic place a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is surrounded by moats and thick defensive walls enclosing four donjpns, the centre on of which is five stories high. The outer corridor and the so-called 'cosmetic tower' are all that remain of the original palace. The feudal lord (daimyo) lived with his family in the western citadel using the central donjon, daitenshu only in times of trouble.

The five-storied main tower of Himeji Castle reaches 300 feet (92 meters) above sea level, though its design emphasizes the horizontal. An outstanding example of early 17th-century Japanese architecture.

  Japanese Weapons and weapons housed at Himeji Castle

Toyotomi Hideyoshi first built a small donjon on this site for his campaigns in western Japan from 1577-1580. You can still see some of the remnants of Hideyoshi's castle in Himeji castle as Ikeda incoporated some of the stone walls into his castle. Ikeda Terumasa, an ally of Tokugawa Ieyasu at the Battle of Sekigahara, was awarded this province (Harima) for his alliance during the war. Ikeda Terumasa built the donjon of Himeji-jo and erected the castle as it is known today. Himeji-jo's nickname Shirasagi-jo means "White Heron Castle" because the main donjon with its three smaller donjon resembles a white heron.

You follow a path which winds past turrets and walls and through gates that eventually lead to the inner citadel. To the east of the daitenshu is a small courtyard where the daimyo's Samurai committed seppuku, ritual suicide and there is a haunted well to the south. Daitenshu itself is spectacular with five stories framed by vast wooden pillars. The view from the top is superb, all the way to the inland sea on a good day.

Beyond the moat to the west of the fortress are nine linked gardens. They are designed in the Edo-era style and separated by mud walls surmounted by roof tiles. Today the gardens shelter tea houses, rock gardens and of course beautifully landscaped pools filled with Koi carp.

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