Himeji Castle, Kinki, Japan

4.5 (5.357 reviews) Monday: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM Spent 2-3 hours Ranking #1 in Kinki Historic Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks • Castles • Scenic Walking Areas

The Best Castle in Japan

Built in the beginning of the 17th century when Japan's unique castle architectural techniques had reached their peak, Himeji Castle was the first in Japan to be registered as a UNESCO Cultural World Heritage in 1993 as well as designated as a National Treasure in 1951. It is called "Hakuro-jo" (White Heron Castle) because of its brilliant white exterior and supposed resemblance to a white heron taking flight. Q1. Can I use a credit card? A1. Yes, you can. We accept major credit cards like VISA, MasterCard, AMEX, Diners and JCB. Q2. Do you have a coin operated locker? A2. Yes we do, but the number and kind of them are limited, so you had better use the ones in Himeji station. The biggest size is 1135H x 350W x 640D(mm). Q3. When is peak season? A3. Our peak is usually around late March to early April for cherry blossoms, late April to early May for Japanese Holiday Season so called 'Golden Week', and October and November for travel season for Japanese. Q4. When do I have to arrive to avoid congestion? A4. 15 to 30 minutes prior to opening time (9am (8am-8:30am for peak season)). Q5. How long does it take to walk around the castle? A5. Normally, it takes at least 90 minutes to explore the castle, but you can try to go up and down with no stop in 45 minutes.
Kinki review images

Address

68 Hommachi, Himeji 670-0012 Hyogo Prefecture

Mobile

+81 79-285-1146

Website

http://www.city.himeji.lg.jp/guide/castle/

Working hours

Monday : 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday : 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday : 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday : 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday : 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday : 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday : 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Current local date and time now

Monday, May 06, 2024, 5:01

User Ratings

4.5 based on (5.357 reviews)

Excellent
62%
Good
28%
Satisfactory
7%
Poor
2%
Terrible
1%

Reviews

  • 5Daniel C 5:00 PM Jul 9, 2022
    Best Tour Ever with VEGA (Volunteer Guide Association of Himeji Castle)
    At first look Himeji Castle is a big empty building but with the right information it is a cultural, architectural, and historical wonder. We were fortunate to see it with few if any crowds. We were even more fortunate to chance upon a tour guide from VeGA, the Volunteer Guide Association of Himeji Castle. Ito-san approached us and at first I thought it was a scam. I then remembered I was in Japan and they just don't do that. Look for the blue armband near the ticket window. Because I know about Japanese and castle history, and we had plenty of time, she gave us a three hour tour for free. In flawless English no less. They tailor the tour to the person so if I had only a little time or really didn't know much, it would have gone much quicker. Our tour was, by far, one of the best tours I have ever received at any historical site ever. I appreciate that she took to talk to us and we never felt rushed. She tailored the tour to my knowledge level. I could see that she was pleasantly surprised at my level of knowledge regarding castles, Japan, Japanese history, and the film You Only Live Twice. She was an excellent ambassador for her city and the nation of Japan. The Volunteer Guide Association of Himeji Castle (VEGA) is an amazing resource for people to understand and connect with Himeji-jo and the city of Himeji. As a visitor to their country, I appreciate that locals would volunteer their time, on their days off, to provide instruction and insights into one of Japan's twelve remaining original castles. VEGA is a valuable asset to the castle itself, the city of Himeji, and the nation of Japan. What is more, they provide these tours not only to other Japanese but, in nearly flawless English, to foreign visitors as well. My wife and I will be forever grateful to VEGA for such a memorable day.
  • 5Blackhawk E 5:00 PM Jan 28, 2020
    We lost sense of time it was so awesome!
    Let me tell you...we went here thinking this would be a better option to the million or so tourist infested venues in Kyoto. We weren't wrong. At first I was put off by a review by someone going on about nothing being within the castle and just a lot of walking and climbing steep stairs while wearing ill-fitting slippers. Let me tell you. We ventured forth thinking we didn't want to spend the money on the actual visit inside and I took a leap of faith knowing we probably won't be back in our lifetime. We were both glad we did. There is a wealth of information within the castle and most exhibits are in Japanese as well as English. In addition, they have kept the grounds and castle as historically correct as possible. So yes, there are a lot of steep stairs and long hallways of gorgeous wood. If you spend time here you will see the awesome workmanship and the continued restoration of this relic that has been around longer than many other countries have even been alive! This place is awesome. I wish I knew more about Japanese history to truly be enveloped by the stories, but unfortunately I know very little. Even so, you get the idea of what happened here and how it happened. Mind you the museum at the end of the castle was closed and will be closed until April 2020 there was still a wealth of information. Docents are very knowledgeable and even in halting English one sought me out with my daughter to show us some little known facts about the construction of the main Keep. It was awesome and I wanted to go back and thank her again and again for such awesome knowledge sharing. Please, please, please go here to spend an afternoon. What we thought would be an hour or two visit to get pictures turned out to be a four hour excursion of delight!!

See also

More Things to do in Kinki