Summary
Himeji Castle, also known as the White Heron Castle, is a famous historical site in Himeji, Japan. It is considered one of Japan’s top ten must-visit castles and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The castle is known for its white exterior walls and well-preserved architecture, particularly the three-story main keep. Himeji Castle is easily accessible and is a popular destination for tourists visiting Osaka, Kobe, or Himeji. Various transportation options, such as the JR PASS Kansai Wide Area Pass, JR Kansai Area Pass, and Kansai Thru Pass, are available for visitors to reach the castle. The castle grounds also include the beautiful Nishi-no-Maru Garden. Visitors are recommended to allocate at least 2-3 hours to explore the castle and its surroundings.
Himeji Castle, voted by the Japanese as the number one of the “Top Ten Must-Visit Ancient Castles in Japan,” is located in Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. Because its exterior walls are mainly white, it is also known as the “White Heron Castle.” Along with Kumamoto Castle and Matsumoto Castle, it is considered one of Japan’s three most famous castles. In 1993, it was listed as a “World Cultural Heritage Site” and is a must-visit place for tourists traveling to Osaka, Kobe, or Himeji. Since this Kansai trip used the “JR PASS Kansai Wide Area Pass,” we decided to include Himeji Castle in this Kansai itinerary for the convenience of transportation.
Himeji Castle was built in the mid-14th century. In the 16th century, Toyotomi Hideyoshi ordered the construction of a three-story main keep. The original main keep was not white, but in the 17th century, Ikeda Terumasa further expanded and renovated it, using a unique Japanese material called “shirakabe plaster,” which gave Himeji Castle its bright white exterior and earned it the reputation of the “White Heron Castle.”
Due to the well-preserved main keep of Himeji Castle, it is not an exaggeration to say that it is the castle with the most historical and symbolic significance in Japan. It is also voted as the number one must-visit historical castle in Japan by netizens. Located in the center of Himeji City, with the advantage of convenient transportation, the number of visitors to Himeji Castle has been increasing year by year. With all these factors, it is definitely worth a visit to Himeji Castle.
Transportation
There are many ways to get to Himeji Castle. You can choose the appropriate ticket according to your needs:
JR PASS Kansai Wide Area Pass
- Usage: Allows unlimited rides on JR within the designated area for five consecutive days. It can reach as far as Okayama, Kurashiki, Tottori, and Shingu. In the “Shin-Osaka to Okayama” section, you can also take the Sanyo Shinkansen, which is very cost-effective and convenient.
- Suitable for travelers visiting the Kansai region, such as Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto, etc.
- Can be purchased in Taiwan. For ticket information, please refer to JR PASS Kansai Wide Area Pass Introduction.
JR Kansai Area Pass
- Usage: Allows rides on JR within the designated area. There are tickets for 1 to 4 days. Although the coverage area is smaller than the Kansai Wide Area Pass, it offers more flexibility in terms of the number of days used, allowing you to choose the ticket according to your itinerary.
- Suitable for travelers planning itineraries in the Kansai suburbs, such as Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, etc.
- Can be purchased in Taiwan. For ticket information, please refer to JR Kansai Area Pass Introduction.
Kansai Thru Pass
- Usage: Also known as KTP, it offers two-day and three-day tickets. Within the valid period, you can take unlimited rides on private railways, subways, and buses in the Kansai area.
- Suitable for travelers with fixed itineraries in overlapping locations in the Kansai area. For example, it is more cost-effective to use this ticket for a one-day tour of Kyoto City and a one-day tour of the suburbs of Kyoto.
- Can be purchased in Taiwan. For ticket information, please refer to Kansai Thru Pass Introduction.
Himeji Tourist Pass
- Usage: A one-day ticket that provides direct access from Kansai Airport to the Himeji area, including a one-way ticket for the “Nankai Airport Express” (Kansai Airport to Namba) and a one-day ticket for the “Hanshin Electric Railway & Sanyo Electric Railway designated routes.”
- Suitable for travelers planning a one-day special attack in the Kansai area, such as visiting the Himeji area directly from Kansai Airport and returning to Osaka for accommodation in the evening. (Note that there is only one ride from Kansai Airport to Namba).
- For ticket information, please refer to Himeji Tourist Pass Introduction.
Sannomiya-Himeji One-Day Pass
- Allows unlimited rides on the Hanshin Electric Railway and Sanyo Electric Railway on all routes within one day (cannot ride on the Nankai Electric Railway).
- Similar to the Himeji Tourist Pass, but the farthest you can go to the east is Sannomiya, and you cannot go to Umeda.
- For ticket information, please refer to Sannomiya-Himeji One-Day Pass Introduction.
Itinerary Record
When you come out of JR Himeji Station, you can see Himeji Castle with its white exterior standing in the distance.
It is not far from JR Himeji Station or Sanyo Electric Railway Himeji Station to Himeji Castle, about a 15-20 minute walk. Although there are also buses available, because it was the first time to visit Himeji, we chose to experience the street scenery of this ancient city on foot.
JR Himeji Station is a very modern station, and the Sanyo Shinkansen also stops here.
I have to say that the street scenery in Japan is always beautiful no matter how you take pictures. Even walking on ordinary streets is quite pleasant.
When we went, it was close to noon, so we took a detour to the nearby shopping street. However, there wasn’t much special to buy, so it is recommended to visit only if time allows.
The Sakura-mon Bridge in front of Otemon, which is a must-pass entrance to Himeji Castle, offers a clear view of Himeji Castle.
Himeji Castle can be considered a national treasure-level architecture in Japan. It is undeniable that Japan attaches great importance to the preservation of historical sites.
For first-time visitors to Himeji Castle, it is inevitable to take a photo with the representative stone monument.
It takes some time to walk from Otemon to the main keep of Himeji Castle. Although the entire Himeji Castle complex is not as exaggerated as Osaka Castle, the planning and environment are well-maintained, and the visiting route is smooth. Different routes are taken to enter and exit the main keep, allowing visitors to appreciate the magnificence and beauty of the main keep from different angles.
The large lawn in the Himeji Castle complex, with its huge ginkgo tree, is very eye-catching, although it is not yet fully yellow.
Himeji Castle can be photographed from different angles, showcasing its beauty.
It took about 20 minutes to officially reach the ticket office of Himeji Castle. Because the main keep of Himeji Castle is well-preserved, it is a must to go inside and see this historical castle that is over a hundred years old!
Himeji Castle Visitor Information
| Ticket | Adult (18 years old and above) | 1000 yen |
| Children (elementary school, junior high school, high school students) | 300 yen |
| Himeji Castle & Koko-en Garden Pass | Adult | 1040 yen |
| Elementary school, junior high school, high school students | 360 yen |
| Opening Hours | 9:00-16:00 (Closes at 17:00) Summer (April 27th to August 31st): 9:00-17:00 (Closes at 18:00) |
(Image source: Himeji Castle Tourism Website)
From the above image, you can see that the main keep of Himeji Castle is quite large. Most visitors come here mainly to climb to the top of the main keep. If you want to visit the Koko-en Garden separately, you will need to allocate more time. Overall, it is recommended to spend at least 2-3 hours visiting Himeji Castle.
This is probably the most satisfying photo of Himeji Castle, with the reflection of the main keep taken through the water pool outside the castle walls, complemented by the blue sky.
Different angles of Himeji Castle, even though I took many photos of the main keep, I never got tired of it.
Himeji Castle is also a famous spot for cherry blossoms. Even the branches in the off-season still adorn Himeji Castle beautifully.
When visiting the main keep of Himeji Castle, you need to take off your shoes due to the preservation of the historical site. After entering the corridor, follow the guidance of the staff, take off your shoes, and carry them in a plastic bag provided on the side. Then you can start visiting the main keep and climb to the top.
The interior of the main keep of Himeji Castle is mainly composed of large wooden pillars and wooden floors, and it is well-preserved.
The main keep has six floors in total. Due to the preservation of the original structure, the stairs are quite steep, so you need to be careful when climbing to the top.
There is also a small shrine-like area inside.
Finally, I reached the top of the main keep of Himeji Castle. From here, you can see the cityscape of Himeji.
After leaving the main keep following the visiting route, you will come to the Honmaru (Bizenmaru), which was originally the residence of one of the castle lords, Ikeda Terumasa. However, it was burned down in 1882 and now only an empty space remains. Nevertheless, it has become a place where visitors stay to take photos of Himeji Castle after leaving the main keep.
From a close distance, you can feel the magnificence of the main keep of Himeji Castle at Bizenmaru.
Of course, on such a good weather day, I couldn’t resist taking a photo here.
In principle, the visit to Himeji Castle ends here. Because only about three hours were allocated for the visit, we did not have time to visit the nearby Koko-en Garden. Overall, if time allows, it is highly recommended to allocate at least half a day to visit Himeji, as you can leisurely explore Himeji Castle and also visit other nearby attractions. After all, it takes more than an hour to travel from Osaka City to Himeji City, so it would be a pity to miss out on some beautiful scenery and leave.
『Original Source： https://www.phototravel.tw/himeji-castle-tour/
