🗺️ Himeji Castle姫路城

Himeji Castle, located in Hyogo Prefecture and also known as Shirasagi Castle, is a famous castle registered as a World Heritage site. The main keep, built by Ikeda Terumasa in the early Edo period, has a structure of five stories, six levels, and one basement, making it the largest existing keep from the Edo period. Additionally, the entire castle town is situated inside the outer moat, which is known as a "sōkō" castle, covering a vast area that includes the current center of Himeji City. It is said that the area around Himeji Station is precisely where the outer moat is located. Today, although only the inner moat remains, the scale is still quite impressive. Himeji Castle is a flatland castle with a complex of keeps connected by a渡櫓 (watari-yagura), linking the main keep with three smaller keeps, and it is also a National Treasure of Japan. Himeji Castle has hardly experienced warfare and miraculously escaped disaster during air raids, allowing it to retain its beautiful form to this day. The most famous photo spot is the slope extending from the main gate, "Rō no Mon," to "Nami no Mon." In period dramas, Himeji Castle is often used to represent Edo Castle, earning the name "Shōgun-zaka." Additionally, on the eastern side of the castle, the site of the former Nishi-Oyashiki has been developed into a Japanese garden called "Kōkoen," along with the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of History and other attractions, making the surrounding area rich with places worth visiting.

As the most well-preserved castle in Japan, it was registered as a World Heritage Site in 1993. In its early days, it was so large that it covered the entire central area of Himeji City. Known as "Shirasagi Castle," it still retains valuable cultural assets that reflect its original construction. The "Shogun Slope," which leads to the main keep, is a filming location for various productions. The garden "Kokoen," which offers a view of Himeji Castle, is definitely worth a visit.