Himeji · Japan

Himeji-jō

Himeji Castle

Historic photo spotgoogle verified

moderate

10/10

best: morning

contemplative, adventurous

A local would say...

Called the White Egret for its soaring plaster walls, this is Japan's most magnificent surviving original castle — 48 successive lords called it home.

Japan's most magnificent castle earned its nickname Shirasagi-jō — White Egret Castle — for its lustrous white plaster exterior that seems to float above the plain. The five-storey main keep and three smaller keeps are surrounded by moats and defensive walls with rectangular, circular, and triangular openings for guns and arrows. Built in 1580 and expanded 30 years later, this is one of the few original castles surviving in Japan. Following the arrow-marked route through the keep takes about 90 minutes, and the views from the top floors are commanding. It appeared in a James Bond film and Kurosawa's Ran.