Himeji Castle

An amazing sight to see as long as you don't mind the exercise. This is a very extensive place to visit, there are multiple buildings in the compound that you can visit. There's a rather long walk down the area where female servants and ladies in waiting were housed that has some great information scattered around and relics for you to see but you will have to remove your shoes before entering. The main keep of the castle is fully open to all visitors and is a very interesting journey to take, you just have to keep in mind that this building is also without shoes and there are a lot of steep wooden stairs. So make sure your socks or feet covers are not too slippery. The entire experience can last roughly 60-90 minutes depending on how interested you are in all of the exhibits.

Great experience! We booked a local guide (local teacher) and it was an amazing experience to get to this spiritual place, walk up the castle and get an understanding of the importance and the history of the castle and location. Built in 1601-1609 with the target to support Edo and to limit influence from Osaka to west Japan has a lot of important historic background and worth a trip. The main two wooden pillars have been around 300 years old (before cutting) and then served 400 years as the main parts of the construction. One had to be replaced around 1950 and you will find the details on how much work was spent to make this happen and to stabilize the full construction. When taking the tour (and guide) you will get the clear explanation how this castle was setup to put a stake into the ground and how to defend it in every situation. Lots of engineering craftmanship to visit and details show how much time and energy was spent wisely here. The shrine on the top floor and the history behind it plus the families living there gives a good view on what might have happened here centuries ago. The view from the guarden onto the castle / main tower is just outstanding. Osaka castle was a very inspiring place, too, but this one was truly exceptional. Don't rush through and take your time (at least 2,5h) to learn and understand the concepts. You will be rewarded with a deeper understanding of history and warcraftship of this period of time. Worth the time and money. As it was quite hot today, drink enough water to stay healthy. IN case you face trouble, don't worry, the owner organized very good medical support inside / outside the castle tour. Inside the main building are not much furniture, as it was mainly a tower which was used as storage for weapons and armory. When looking for more weapons / clothing / armor you should better visit an according museum.

We missed going to Himeji Castle last year due to rain and almost did again, but decided to still go and it was WORTH it!!! Plenty of parking and the castle and grounds are absolutely breathtaking and the history amazing. Going first thing in the morning made it feel like we had the castle all to ourselves. The shops at the exit and staff were also top-notch!

Amazing castle with well looked after internal and external grounds. Brilliant views from every angle. Well worth a visit. You get to walk all the way through every room of the castle, it takes you into another world where you can imagine what it was like for people who used it. The ow of people is very well managed with very clear signs on direction to allow you to experience everything and not have to figure out whether you have missed anything. It's over hour train ride from Osaka station and would recommend allowing for a couple of hours to walk through. Plus definitely worth a visit to the gardens next door.