A World Heritage Site, Himeji Castle represents the largest structure of its kind in Japan. Constructed in the 14th century, the grandiose castle underwent several major reconstructions since then, surviving two scheduled demolitions, the 1945 bombings, and an earthquake. Admire the imposing structure from the outside, or roam the well-kept interior and labyrinthine garden paths. PutHimeji Castle into our Himeji road trip planner and find out what's close by, where to stay, and where to head next.
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Himeji Castle reviews
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We took our tour of the castle on a warm day in May. It was crowded but not terribly so. The castle is an amazing example of Japanese architecture from the 1600’s.
We took our tour of the castle on a warm day in May. It was crowded but not terribly so. The castle is an amazing example of Japanese architecture from the 1600’s. more »
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We weren’t planning to take a guided tour of the castle but on our arrival, Ito San greeted us, and offered a free English one. We are so glad that we accepted. She has an encyclopaedic knowledge and.... more
We weren’t planning to take a guided tour of the castle but on our arrival, Ito San greeted us, and offered a free English one. We are so glad that we accepted. She has an encyclopaedic knowledge and.... more »
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One of Japan's most famous castles. Visited back in 2018 and was blown away by the size of the castle, it is deft at least twice the size of any of the other castles I visited during this trip. There's more to the visit than just the castle itself. The castle grounds are beautiful and well looked after. There's a museum within the castle itself and there's also several sections where you can do a self guided tour which goes through history of the castle and what each of the sections purpose was. Overall, an excellent experience and a must visit for anyone travelling to Japan.
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This place can only ever get top marks from me! To my mind, the most beautiful and appealing castle in the whole country, set on a commanding raised base so as to be visible from almost the whole city. Although there is little inside the keep itself, the view from the top is still very nice, though perhaps the diversion if you are short on time. Instead, enjoy the castle from the outside and walk through the warren of pathways, multitude of gardens and large, open spaces that make this such a wonderful site to visit.
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