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Hyogo · Core city

Himeji

姫路市ひめじしHimeji-shi

The city of the White Heron Castle

Himeji is the main city of western Hyogo and home to Himeji Castle, the largest and best-preserved of Japan's original castles, whose white plastered walls earned it the name Shirasagi-jō, "White Heron Castle".

Overview

Himeji is dominated by its castle, which rises on the Himeyama hill directly north of the station at the end of a broad avenue. The castle complex – a main keep of five storeys outside and six inside, linked to three smaller keeps, more than 80 buildings, walls and moats – has survived intact since the early 17th century, escaping both the Meiji-era demolitions and the air raids of 1945. In 1993 it became, with Hōryū-ji, one of Japan's first two cultural World Heritage sites.

The city beyond the castle is the industrial and commercial centre of the Harima plain, with steel, chemicals and electrical industries along the coast and a long tradition of leather tanning. North-west of the centre, the Tendai temple Engyō-ji on Mount Shosha is one of western Japan's great mountain monasteries; offshore lie the Ieshima islands in the Harima Sea.

Landmarks

  • Himeji Castle

    姫路城Himeji-jō

    Japan's largest original castle complex, a National Treasure and World Heritage site, with a labyrinth of gates and white plastered walls.

  • Kōko-en

    好古園Kōko-en

    Nine Edo-style walled gardens laid out on the site of samurai residences west of the castle.

  • Engyō-ji

    圓教寺Engyō-ji

    Tendai temple founded in 966 on Mount Shosha, reached by ropeway, with the massive Maniden hall and the three-hall complex of Mitsunodō.

  • Himeji City Museum of Literature

    姫路文学館Himeji Bungakukan

    Museum designed by Andō Tadao devoted to writers from the Harima region.

  • Hyogo Prefectural Museum of History

    兵庫県立歴史博物館Hyōgo Kenritsu Rekishi Hakubutsukan

    Museum by Tange Kenzō near the castle with models of Japanese castles.

  • Mount Shosha

    書写山Shosha-zan

    Wooded mountain with views over the Harima plain, crowned by Engyō-ji.

  • Ieshima Islands

    家島諸島Ieshima Shotō

    Islands in the Harima Sea belonging to Himeji, reached by ferry.

Districts

  • Ōtemae-dōri

    大手前通りŌtemae-dōri

    Wide avenue from the station to the castle.

  • Miyuki-dōri

    みゆき通りMiyuki-dōri

    Covered shopping arcade parallel to the main avenue.

  • Shikama

    飾磨Shikama

    Port district, the old gateway of the castle town to the sea.

  • Ieshima

    家島Ieshima

    Island district with quarrying and fishing communities.

History

A fort was first built on Himeyama in the 14th century by the Akamatsu clan. Toyotomi Hideyoshi, then in the service of Oda Nobunaga, took over the site in 1580 and built a three-storey keep. After Sekigahara, Ikeda Terumasa, Tokugawa Ieyasu's son-in-law, rebuilt the castle into its present form (1601–1609); the Honda family added the western enclosure with its Princess Sen quarters in 1618. Himeji became the castle town and later the commercial centre of Harima, and a major base of the Imperial Army. The city centre was bombed in 1945, but the castle survived; major restorations were carried out in the Shōwa era (1956–1964) and the Heisei era (2009–2015).

  1. 1346

    Akamatsu Sadanori builds a fort on Himeyama.

  2. 1580

    Hideyoshi takes over the castle and builds a three-storey keep.

  3. 1601–1609

    Ikeda Terumasa builds the present castle.

  4. 1618

    Honda Tadamasa adds the Nishi-no-maru enclosure.

  5. 1889

    Himeji becomes a city.

  6. 1945

    Air raids destroy much of the city; the castle survives.

  7. 1993

    Himeji Castle is inscribed as a World Heritage site.

  8. 1996

    Himeji becomes a core city.

  9. 2015

    The Heisei-era restoration of the main keep is completed.

Culture

Himeji's cultural life is centred on the castle, which inspired Kabuki tales such as the ghost of Okiku and the goblin princess Osakabe-hime who is said to live in the keep. The city's autumn shrine festivals, especially the Nada Fighting Festival, show the vigour of Harima's festival culture.

Festivals

  • Nada no Kenka Matsuri

    灘のけんか祭りNada no Kenka Matsuri

    14–15 October at Matsubara Hachiman Shrine: three portable shrines are violently clashed together, followed by elaborate yatai floats.

  • Himeji Castle Festival

    姫路お城まつりHimeji Oshiro Matsuri

    City festival with a historical costume parade along Ōtemae-dōri and Noh performed by torchlight in the castle grounds.

  • Yukata Festival

    ゆかたまつりYukata Matsuri

    June festival of Osakabe Shrine, traditionally the first day of wearing yukata in Himeji.

Food

  • Himeji oden

    姫路おでんHimeji oden

    Oden eaten with a dipping sauce of ginger and soy sauce.

  • Ekisoba

    えきそばekisoba

    Yellow Chinese-style noodles in Japanese dashi, sold at Himeji Station since the post-war years.

  • Anago

    穴子anago

    Conger eel from the Harima coast, grilled or on rice.

  • Almond toast

    アーモンドトーストāmondo tōsuto

    Thick toast spread with almond cream, a staple of Himeji's coffee shops.

  • Tamatsubaki

    玉椿Tamatsubaki

    Camellia-shaped sweet made for the domain in the Edo period, a classic local confection.

Getting around

  • Himeji Station is on the San'yō Shinkansen, about 30 minutes from Shin-Ōsaka, and on the JR Kobe Line with special rapid trains from Osaka and Kobe.
  • The Sanyo Electric Railway links Sanyo-Himeji with Akashi and Kobe.
  • The castle is a 15–20-minute walk up Ōtemae-dōri; loop buses and rental bicycles also serve the sights.
  • Buses run to the Shoshazan ropeway; ferries sail from Himeji port to the Ieshima Islands and to Shōdoshima.

Day trips

  • Kobe

    Port city and prefectural capital, about 40 minutes east.

  • Okayama

    Kōraku-en garden and Okayama Castle, 20 minutes west by Shinkansen.

  • Akō

    Castle town of the 47 rōnin, with Ōishi Shrine.

  • Tatsuno

    Small castle town known for soy sauce and the home town of the song Akatombo.

  • Shōdoshima

    Olive island in the Inland Sea, reached by ferry from Himeji port.

Other cities in the prefecture

CapitalKobeKōbe-shiJapan's cosmopolitan harbour cityCityToyookaToyooka-shiHot springs, storks and the San'in coast

Frequently asked questions

Why is Himeji Castle called the White Heron Castle?

Its walls and roof joints are covered in white plaster, and its spreading roofs are said to resemble a white heron taking flight.

How long does a visit to Himeji Castle take?

Around two to three hours for the keep and grounds, plus an hour for Kōko-en. Climbing the steep interior stairs of the keep requires removing shoes.

Is Himeji Castle original?

Yes. The main keep and many other buildings date from the early 17th century and have never been destroyed; they have been dismantled and restored in careful conservation campaigns.

Can I combine Himeji with Kobe or Okayama?

Yes. Himeji lies on the Shinkansen between Osaka and Okayama, and many visitors stop for half a day between the two.

Related

Sources

  1. 1.令和2年国勢調査 (opens in a new tab) — Statistics Bureau of Japan
  2. 2.Himeji-jo (opens in a new tab) — UNESCO World Heritage Centre
  3. 3.姫路市ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 姫路市

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