HIMEJI, JAPAN: The White Egret Castle

by Heather Hopkins Clement

If you have already been to Nara and Kyoto, I recommend you spend the day in Hyogo prefecture to visit Himeji and Kobe.

A great day trip from the port of Osaka is to go see Himeji castle.  You can also work in a ride on the shinkansen bullet train from Shin Osaka station to Himeji Station.  There are numerous shops in Shin Osaka station where you can find some nice souvenirs.  On the way back home from the castle, you can take a slower, cheaper train and stop in Kobe to get a taste of what that city has to offer as well. 

Here is a sampling of what various travel guides have to say on the subject of Himeji:

Himeji Convention & Visitors Bureau:

Himeji Castle was registered as the first Japanese world cultural heritage by UNESCO along with Horyuji Temple in December, 1993, enjoying the highest international reputation of all existing Japanese castles.

Cited as its reason are its architectural uniqueness including multiple towers, its beautiful shape dubbed as White Heron Castle, its exquisite and fully worked-out functional devices for a fortress, and its well-preserved castle buildings in the inner citadel telling almost completely what they used to be.

Himeji Castle has a history of 400 years (over 600 years since the first fortress) as precious heritage to be handed down to future generations.

Address
Himeji Castle Administration Office
68 Honmachi, Himeji
TEL:079-285-1146 FAX:079-222-6050

Open
9:00-17:00 (must enter by 16:00)
* Extended closing time for one hour in April 27 - August 31)

Holiday
December 29-31

Fee
600 yen/adult
200 yen/elementary and junior high school student
Group rate
30 people or more 10% off
100 people or more 20% off
300 people or more 30% off
* Free on New Year's Day and Castle Day (April 6)

Admission ticket for Himeji Castle and Kokoen Garden
720 yen/adult
280 yen/elementary and junior high school student

Admission Ticket for Castle, Museum of History and Museum of Art
800 yen/adult
720 yen/high school and college student
320 yen/elementary and junior high school student

Access
About 15 minutes' walk from JR or Sanyo Railway Himeji Station or 5 minutes' bus ride

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JAPAN NATIONAL TOURIST ORGANIZATION:

Himeji Castle (姫路城), 5 min. by bus or a 15-min. walk from Himeji Sta., is a splendid and one of the few original castles remaining in Japan. It was built as a fort in the 14th century, and then rebuilt into the present style at the beginning of the 17th
century. It was designated as World Heritage (Cultural heritage).  An 8-year restoration project on the entire castle was completed in 1964. The five-storied main donjon together with the three
smaller donjons forms a magnificent shape and is highly appreciated from both the esthetic and architectural viewpoints.  Another name given to this castle is “Hakurojo” or White Heron Castle, for its resemblance, at a distance, of a white silhouette of a heron poised gracefully in the heart of the plain. It
takes one and a half hours to see the castle's major structures. In Himeji Castle, the venue of some famous Japanese films such as“Shogun” and “Kagemusha,” you can become familiar with the
Samurai culture. English-speaking volunteer guides are at the castle's entrance most of the time to help you. Open: 9:00–17:00 (–18:00 from May to Aug.). (Enter by 1 hr. before closing time).
Closed: Dec. 29–31. Admission: ¥600.

Kokoen Garden (好古園), a 5-min. walk from the castle, is composed of 9 various sized traditional Japanese gardens on the former site where a mansion of the Himeji lord and his men's
samurai houses existed. Open: 9:00–17:00 (–18:00 from May to Aug.) Closed: Dec. 29–31. Admission: ¥300.

Himeji City Museum of Art (姫路市立美術館), a 5-min. walk from the castle, is a brick structure, which used to be the City Hall. Open: 10:00–17:00 (Enter by 30 min. before closing time).  Closed: Mon., the day after a national holiday, and the New Year's holiday. Admission: ¥200.

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FROMMER’S:

Himeji Castle - As soon as you exit from Himeji Station, you'll see Himeji Castle straight ahead at the end of a wide boulevard called Otemae Dori. Perhaps the most beautiful castle in all of Japan, Himeji Castle is nicknamed "White Heron Castle" in reference to its white walls, which stretch out on either side of the main donjon and resemble a white heron poised in flight over the plain. Whether it looks to you like a heron or a castle, the view of the white five-story donjon under a blue sky is striking, especially when the area's 1,000 cherry trees are in bloom. This is also one of the few castles in Japan that has remained virtually as it was since its completion in 1618, surviving even the World War II bombings that laid Himeji city in ruins. From 1956 to 1964, the castle underwent massive restoration, during which parts were totally disassembled and then rebuilt using traditional methods. In 1993 it became Japan's first listing in UNESCO's World Heritage List.

Originating as a fort in the 14th century, Himeji Castle took a more majestic form in 1581 when a three-story donjon was built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi during one of his military campaigns in the district. In the early 1600s, the castle became the residence of Ikeda Terumasa, one of Hideyoshi's generals and a son-in-law of Tokugawa Ieyasu. He remodeled the castle into its present five-story structure. With its extensive gates, three moats, turrets, and a secret entrance, it had one of the most sophisticated defense systems in Japan. The maze of passageways leading to the donjon was so complicated that intruders would find themselves trapped in dead ends. The castle walls were constructed with square or circular holes through which gun muzzles could poke; the rectangular holes were for archers. There were also drop chutes where stones or boiling water could be dumped on enemies trying to scale the walls.

On weekends (and sometimes weekdays), volunteer guides hang around the castle ticket office who are willing to give guided tours of the castle for free. It gives them an opportunity to practice their English while you learn about the history of the castle and even old castle gossip. But even if you go on your own, you won't have any problems learning about the history of the castle, as there are good English-language explanations throughout the castle grounds. With or without a guide, you'll spend at least 2 hours here. But beware, there are lots of stairs. Tip: A combination ticket, allowing discounted admission to both the castle and Koko-en , is available at either entrance.

Koko-en - Although laid out only in 1992, this is a wonderful garden, occupying land where samurai mansions once stood at the base of Himeji Castle, about a 5-minute walk away. Actually it's composed of nine separate small gardens, each one different and enclosed by traditional walls, with lots of rest areas to soak in the wonderful views. The gardens, typical of those in the Edo Period, include a garden of deciduous trees, a garden of pine trees, a garden of flowers popular during the Edo Period, tea-ceremony gardens, and traditional Japanese gardens with ponds, waterfalls, and running streams. If you wish, relax at the Souju-an teahouse in the Cha-no-niwa (tea-ceremony garden) with tea and a sweet (¥500/$4.15/£2.10; 10am-4pm) or dine at a restaurant overlooking a carp pond. In any case, I wouldn't miss this special place. If you don't stop (but how could you resist?), you can stroll through all the gardens in about 45 minutes.

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LONELY PLANET:

Himeji, a small city halfway between Osaka and Okayama, is home to Japan’s most impressive castle: Himeji-jō. In addition to the castle, the city is home to the Hyōgo Prefectural Museum of History and Kōko-en, a small garden alongside the castle. The town may not be much to look at, but it’s friendly and there are plenty of good places to eat. Best of all, Himeji can easily be visited as a day trip from Kyoto, Osaka or Kōbe.

The best way to reach Himeji from Kyoto, Osaka or Kōbe is by a shinkaisoku on the JR Tōkaidō line. Fares and times include: Kyoto (¥2210, 91 minutes); Osaka (¥1450, 61 minutes); and Kōbe (¥950, 37 minutes). From Okayama, to the west, a tokkyū JR train on the San-yō line takes 81 minutes and costs ¥1450. You can also reach Himeji from these cities via the Tōkaidō/San-yō shinkansen line, and this is a good option for Japan Rail Pass holders.

On the way to Himeji, take a look out the train window at the newly constructed Akashi Kaikyō Suspension Bridge. Its 3910m span links the island of Honshū with Awaji-shima, making it the longest suspension bridge in the world. It comes into view on the southern side of the train approximately 10km west of Kōbe.

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