Enjoy Historic Charm and Local Food! 8 Popular Tourist Spots in Himeji

If you’re visiting Himeji, spring or fall is recommended.
That’s because Himeji Castle, a must-see spot in Himeji, is famous for both cherry blossoms and autumn leaves.
The beautiful scenery created by Himeji Castle, also known as the White Heron Castle, together with cherry blossoms or fall foliage is not to be missed.
Be sure to visit other popular cherry blossom and autumn foliage spots as well.

Himeji is about 1 hour and 30 minutes from Osaka by train.
From Shin-Osaka Station, you can also get there in Approx. 45 minutes by shinkansen.
It is also easy to reach from nearby sightseeing areas, with Kobe only Approx. 40 minutes away by train.

One of Japan’s most famous castles, and also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The main keep, built by Ikeda Terumasa in the early Edo period, has five above-ground stories, six levels, and one basement floor, making it the largest surviving Edo-period castle keep in Japan.
The castle town itself was built inside the moats in what is known as a “sogamae” layout, and it was so large that it could encompass the entire center of present-day Himeji City.

A Tendai Buddhist temple located on Mt. Shosha, which rises 371 meters above sea level in northern Himeji City.
It was founded in 966 and is said to have been established by Shoku Shonin.
Many temple buildings stand on the mountaintop, and the site is so large that it is known as the “Mt. Hiei of the West.” It has attracted broad faith since ancient times and is the 27th temple of the Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.

A “zoo inside a castle,” located within the grounds of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Himeji Castle, next to Sannomaru Square.
If you walk straight after entering the zoo, you will come to the red Shiromibashi Bridge, where you can see Himeji Castle beyond the moat. From the west side of the former elephant house, you can also view the upside-down reflection of the main keep on the surface of the moat, making it a well-known viewpoint for Himeji Castle.

An art museum housed in a former Imperial Japanese Army red-brick warehouse registered as a national Tangible Cultural Property, located next to the east side of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Himeji Castle.
The museum’s collection includes about 5,000 works, focusing mainly on modern and contemporary art from Japan and abroad, as well as works connected to the local area.
Among them are works by great Surrealist master Paul Delvaux, as well as Picasso and Rodin.

A large complex centered around a safari park and amusement park that opened in 1984.
Nicknamed “HimeSen,” it is one of the leading theme parks in the Kansai region.
You can enter the safari park in your own car and see powerful animals such as lions and giraffes up close.
It can also be toured by sightseeing bus.

A Japanese strolling garden with ponds, developed on the southwest side of the castle and using the UNESCO World Heritage Site Himeji Castle as borrowed scenery. The vast site covers about 10,000 tsubo (Approx. 3,300㎡) and consists of nine gardens with different atmospheres, including a residence garden.
It is popular for letting visitors experience the atmosphere of the Edo period (1603–1868), and it is also known as a filming location for period dramas and other movies and TV shows.

A history museum located northeast of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Himeji Castle, it opened in 1983 as a museum where visitors could learn about local history.
Major renovations began in 2021, and the museum reopened in 2023.
Designed by architect Kenzo Tange, the building features details such as stone-wall-like surfaces and ventilation openings modeled after castle loopholes, giving it an image inspired by Himeji Castle, also known as the White Heron Castle.

A theme park spread across a vast site of about 140,000㎡, featuring reproductions of famous landmarks from around the world.
The park displays around 70 exhibits and more than 3,000 items in total, centered on stone monuments from about 20 countries and regions.
It is made up of two viewing areas, the “Stone Area” and the “Castle Area.” In the “Stone Area,” you can stroll while viewing stone culture and architecture from around the world, including the Arc de Triomphe, the Great Wall of China, pyramids, and the Terracotta Army.

A commercial complex located in front of Himeji Station that attracts not only locals but also many tourists. Himeji Underground Shopping Mall Grand Festa covers an area of about 7,000㎡, and its floors, categorized into zones 1 through 6, are lined with shops selling Himeji specialties, fashion and cosmetics, local sake, and Japanese sweets. The four-story Himeji Ekimae Festa Building is home mainly to multiple cafes and restaurants, and Himeji Noren-gai, a popular drinking area lined with bars in a nostalgic alleyway setting, is also popular.

A restaurant located inside Kokoen, a Japanese garden developed using the UNESCO World Heritage Site Himeji Castle as borrowed scenery.
You can enjoy your meal while looking out over Oyashiki no Niwa, the largest of Kokoen’s nine uniquely themed gardens, designed as a strolling pond garden.
The set meals served here include limited-quantity options such as the Hime Gozen and Kanbei Gozen.

Shusentei Nadagiku Kappatei is an izakaya directly operated by a Himeji sake brewery.
Popular with locals as well, it is a place where you can enjoy Nadagiku sake along with a la carte dishes such as Himeji’s specialty, Himeji oden.
The house specialty here is Himeji oden, one of Himeji’s best-known B-grade gourmet dishes.
The oden is simmered in a broth passed down for 50 years and enjoyed Himeji style, dipped in ginger soy sauce.

A specialty restaurant for tamago-kake-gohan, or rice topped with raw egg, located right in front of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Himeji Castle.
Founded in 2009 by an egg farm established in 1925, the restaurant was created with the hope that customers could enjoy the natural flavor of eggs. In addition to eggs, it uses locally sourced ingredients such as rice and eggs produced in-house to serve safe, healthy meals.