Himeji Castle

This castle is a World Heritage Site and a Japanese castle masterpiece. The main keep, built by Ikeda Terumasa in the early Edo period, has a five-story exterior, one basement level, and six stories above ground on the inside, making it the largest Edo period castle tower still standing. The castle town is located within the moat, making it a “total castle,” and it is large enough to completely encompass the center of present-day Himeji city. The outer moat is said to have been right around Himeji Station.

The only castle ruins that remain today are those within the inner moat, yet they are quite large. The castle, which is a National Treasure, is a hilltop castle with the main keep and three small keeps by corridors. The castle has experienced very little actual warfare and has amazingly survived air raids, allowing it to keep its exquisite appearance.

The slope leading from the “Ro-no-Mon” gate to the “Ha-no-Mon” gate is a popular photo spot, and it is called “Shogun’s Slope” because it frequently appears in samurai dramas that use Himeji Castle as if it were Edo Castle. There is the Japanese garden “Koko-en”, which was created on the site of the Lord's West Residence, located on the east side of the castle, as well as the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of History and other attractions in the area.