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Standing as a symbol of Himeji, the castle has watched over the city for centuries. Even after 400 years, its majestic keep continues to stand proudly, captivating visitors with its impressive presence.
The castle’s elegant appearance, with its brilliant white walls, has earned it the nickname “White Heron Castle.” In 1993, it was designated as one of Japan’s first UNESCO World Heritage sites. Following extensive restoration work during the Heisei era that lasted five and a half years, the castle emerged in 2015 even more beautiful than before.
Himeji Castle stands unrivaled not only for its value as castle architecture but also for its beauty that embodies the essence of Japanese traditional craftsmanship and its significance as a precious surviving keep.
Furthermore, the castle has been designated as a National Treasure, Important Cultural Property, one of Japan’s Three Famous Castles, and one of Japan’s 100 Famous Castles, naturally commanding high regard within Japan.
In this article, we’ll explore the highlights of this world-renowned castle from an architectural perspective, uncovering the secrets of its beauty while providing practical tourist information. We’ll cover everything from its charm during cherry blossom season to access methods, helping you plan your visit to Himeji Castle.
One of Himeji Castle’s greatest attractions and charms is its beauty.
Himeji Castle is nicknamed the “White Heron Castle.” The castle’s walls are covered in white plaster, and even the roof tile joints are finished with white plaster. This creates the appearance of a white heron spreading its wings, which led local residents to affectionately give it this nickname.
Himeji Castle features a “connected keep complex” architectural style.
A connected keep complex is a architectural style where the main keep, smaller keeps, and turrets are arranged around the perimeter and connected by corridors. This creates a courtyard surrounded by buildings and is known for providing excellent defensive capabilities. Himeji Castle consists of the main keep at its center connected to three smaller keeps—the east, west, and northwest small keeps—via corridors.
In other words, rather than having just a single towering keep, the castle has a layout where the main keep is surrounded by smaller keeps and turrets. This design creates overlapping structures that produce more intricate and complex architectural beauty while also conveying a sense of imposing grandeur that is truly breathtaking.
In reality, Himeji Castle’s keep complex consists of an impressive 5-story, 6-level main keep at its core, organically connected to three smaller keeps via corridors. The layered tile roofs are adorned with chidori and karahafu gables, harmonizing with the pure white plastered walls to create elegant architectural beauty. The geometric beauty achieved through the overlapping of large structures in an era without computers is a testament to the craftsmen’s skill.
The white plastered walls against the sky and the connected keep complex structure composed of the main keep and multiple smaller keeps create more complex and intricate details than a single keep, resulting in a beautiful and impressive castle. This is why people say “Himeji Castle is beautiful.”
Be sure to view Himeji Castle from both far and near.
Did you know that there are only twelve original castle keeps remaining in Japan? “Original” here means preserving the structure from when it was first built. Many Japanese castle keeps were lost to earthquakes or war and were later reconstructed.
Himeji Castle is one of these precious twelve surviving original keeps. Generally known as one of the ”twelve original castle keeps,” it has survived multiple earthquakes and wars since its construction in 1609, maintaining its beautiful appearance through continuous maintenance.
Be sure to enter Himeji Castle’s keep. The aged texture of the wood and the massive natural wooden beams will let you experience 400 years of history.
For detailed information about Himeji Castle’s keep, please see below:
Read more about Himeji Castle Keep
For detailed information about the twelve original castle keeps, please see the article below:
Read more about The Twelve Original Castle Keeps
This is Himeji Castle’s main entrance, the Sakura Bridge. Every visitor to Himeji Castle first arrives here. Crossing this bridge marks the beginning of your Himeji Castle tour. You can see the castle keep in the distance, and the view is beautiful. It’s also a popular photo spot.
After crossing the Sakura Bridge, you’ll first encounter the “Otemon Gate.” As the first gate welcoming visitors, it was designed to display the lord’s authority and is therefore typically an impressive and imposing structure. All Japanese castles of a certain size would have had such a main gate.
Himeji Castle’s Otemon Gate was reconstructed in 1938 and is massive and imposing. Like other castles, Himeji Castle’s Otemon Gate majestically welcomes us as the castle’s facade. Pay particular attention to the doors. The scale of these doors is enormous, giving an incredible sense of weight and presence. Though reconstructed, it’s already been almost 90 years, and the wood’s texture is beautiful.
Himeji Castle was designed with multiple detours and dummy paths on the way to the keep, making it difficult to reach easily. This was designed for defense against actual enemy attacks.
While we won’t get lost during our tour thanks to clear signs and markers, the path to the keep is notably longer compared to other castles.
However, this has become one of its attractions and charms. It allows visitors to fully experience the beautiful Japanese castle scenery within the grounds. In fact, few Japanese castles have such a long approach to their keep.
Along the way, you’ll pass through narrow paths surrounded by castle walls and several small gates, creating an immersive experience that makes you feel as if you’ve truly traveled back to the Warring States period.
To visit Himeji Castle, including the San-no-maru Square, Nishi-no-maru Garden, and the keep, you’ll need about 2 hours to explore leisurely.
When planning your trip, allocating at least 2 hours for Himeji Castle will ensure you don’t rush your subsequent plans.
Besides the keep itself, the views of Himeji Castle from the square and gardens are also beautiful. Be sure to allow enough time to enjoy Himeji Castle fully.
Himeji Castle is also famous for its cherry blossoms. In spring, about 1,000 cherry trees bloom in areas like the San-no-maru Square and Nishi-no-maru Garden, creating a stunning contrast with the castle’s white walls.
The best time to view the cherry blossoms is typically from late March to early April. As one of Japan’s “100 Famous Cherry Blossom Viewing Sites,” it attracts many visitors during the cherry blossom season.
Starting April 1, 2025, you can now purchase Himeji Castle admission tickets online. (Previously, tickets were only available at the on-site ticket counters)
By purchasing digital tickets, you can enter Himeji Castle without waiting in line at the ticket office, allowing you to access the main keep smoothly even during crowded times without having to queue.
Himeji Castle is located near Himeji Station, which is served by the Shinkansen. Exit from the Castle Exit (North Exit) of Himeji Station and follow the main street northward; the castle is at the end of this straight road, making access very easy. You can see Himeji Castle from the station.
While it’s possible to walk from Himeji Station in 15-20 minutes, we recommend taking the bus. It’s quick (about 5 minutes), easy to use (no confusion about where to board), and frequent (departures every 5 minutes).
When you exit from the Castle Exit (North Exit) of Himeji Station, the bus terminal is immediately on your left.
The bus terminal has platforms numbered 1 through 22, and you can take any bus from platforms 6 through 10.
All these buses stop at the “Himeji Castle Otemon Mae” (Himeji Castle Main Gate) bus stop, where you can alight to access the castle.
When you get off the bus, Himeji Castle is right in front of you. The journey takes less than 5 minutes, buses depart frequently from 5 platforms, so you don’t need to check the schedule, and the waiting time is only about 5 minutes for any bus. It’s incredibly convenient, making it our most recommended way to reach Himeji Castle. (Fare: Adults 210 yen, Children 110 yen)
To return to Himeji Station from the castle, take the bus from the “Himeji Castle Otemon Mae” stop. However, the stop for returning to Himeji Station is not in the same place where you got off; it’s located along the road on the north side of Otemon Park. Buses stopping here will take you back to Himeji Station.
Buses depart approximately every 15 minutes; we recommend checking the departure times at the bus stop when planning your return.
Interestingly, Himeji Castle served as a filming location for the 1967 James Bond film “You Only Live Twice,” the fifth film in the 007 series. Starring Sean Connery as James Bond, it’s famous for being set in Japan.
Scene of Bond arriving at Himeji Castle by helicopter
In this film, a NASA space capsule is captured by a mysterious spacecraft, and Bond comes to Japan to investigate the culprits. The story incorporates many Japanese elements such as ninjas, underground secret bases, and a volcano fortress.
Himeji Castle appears in the film as a “secret ninja training school.” James Bond (Sean Connery) works with Japanese intelligence agent “Tiger Tanaka” (Tetsuro Tanba) to thwart SPECTRE’s plot. During this process, Bond undergoes ninja training, with Himeji Castle serving as the training grounds.
Bond (Sean Connery) landing in Himeji Castle’s San-no-maru Square and being greeted by Tiger Tanaka (Tetsuro Tanba)
Filming took place primarily in the Nishi-no-maru area of Himeji Castle, with impressive shots of the castle’s stone walls and turrets. Particularly in the ninja training scenes, the castle’s majestic appearance is prominently featured, portrayed as a symbol of the samurai spirit.
We recommend watching the film before visiting Himeji Castle. It will make your actual visit even more exciting!
Try comparing the Himeji Castle of 1967 with how it looks today. You’ll be amazed at how the castle has remained unchanged even after more than 70 years.
By the way, it’s worth noting that Tetsuro Tanba, in his younger years in this film, is just as charismatic as Sean Connery! His fluent English and commanding presence made me proud to see such an excellent Japanese actor representing Japan in this international production.
The elegant White Heron Castle appears as if it’s about to take flight into the sky. This overwhelming beauty cannot be fully conveyed through photos or videos alone. As one of the twelve surviving original castle keeps, Himeji Castle preserves its original appearance from when it was built, telling a story woven through 400 years of history.
The charm of Himeji Castle lies in how it presents different faces depending on the viewing angle, time of day, and season. The beauty of white walls gleaming in the morning sun, the majestic silhouette at dusk, the harmony with cherry blossoms in spring, and the imposing figure against the blue summer sky. Each visit brings new discoveries, and you’ll never tire of seeing it no matter how many times you return.
Particularly when walking through the castle keep’s interior, the massive beams and pillars and every meticulously designed detail overwhelm visitors with the incredible craftsmanship and aesthetic pursuit of the period’s artisans. The observation deck at the top level is also a popular spot, offering a panoramic view of Himeji city.
Himeji Castle is easily accessible from Himeji Station, whether on foot or by bus. A stay of about 2 hours is sufficient to leisurely explore the castle’s main attractions. Make sure to visit this architectural masterpiece that Japan is proud to present to the world—Himeji Castle.
