Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [314]
On the way to the castle you’ll find Himeji Tourist Information (287-3658; 9am-5pm), which has information on movies filmed in Himeji, public toilets, a fantastic model of the castle and free rental bicycles.
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SIGHTS
Himeji-jō
This castle (285-1146; 68 Honmachi; adult/child ¥600/200; 9am-5pm Sep-May, to 6pm Jun-Aug) is the most magnificent castle in Japan. It’s also one of only a handful of original castles in Japan (most others are modern concrete reconstructions). In Japanese the castle is sometimes called shirasagi, or ‘white heron’, a title that derives from the castle’s stately white form. Although there have been fortifications in Himeji since 1333, today’s castle was built in 1580 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and enlarged some 30 years later by Ikeda Terumasa. Ikeda was awarded the castle by Tokugawa Ieyasu when the latter’s forces defeated the Toyotomi armies. In the following centuries the castle was home to 48 successive lords.
The castle has a five-storey main donjon (heavily fortified central tower) and three smaller donjon, and the entire structure is surrounded by moats and defensive walls punctuated with rectangular, circular and triangular openings for firing guns and shooting arrows. The walls of the donjon also feature ishiotoshi – openings that allowed defenders to pour boiling water or oil onto anyone who made it past the defensive slits and was thinking of scaling the walls. All things considered, visitors are recommended to pay the admission charge and enter the castle by legitimate means.
It takes around 1½ hours to follow the arrow-marked route around the castle. Free volunteer English-speaking guides are sometimes available at the castle ticket office. Unfortunately, reservations aren’t accepted and there is no regular schedule – ask at the counter and hope for the best. Enter by an hour before closing.
Kōko-en
Just across the moat on the western side of Himeji-jō, you’ll find Kōko-en (289-4120; 68 Honmachi; admission ¥300; 9am-5pm, later in Jun-Aug, closed Dec 29 & 30), a reconstruction of the former samurai quarters of the castle. There are nine separate Edo-style gardens, two ponds, a stream, a tea arbour (¥500 for matcha and a Japanese sweet) and the restaurant Kassui-ken, where you can enjoy a bentō (¥1500) of anago (conger eel, a local speciality) while gazing over the gardens. While the garden doesn’t have the subtle beauty of some of Japan’s older gardens, it is well done and especially lovely in the autumn-foliage season.
Note that a joint ticket to both the Kōko-en and Himeji-jō costs only ¥720, a saving of ¥180. These can be purchased at both the entrance to Kōko-en and Himeji-jō. Enter by 30 minutes before closing.
Hyōgo Prefectural Museum of History
This museum (Hyōgo Kenritsu Rekishi Hakubutsukan; 288-9011; 68 Honmachi; admission ¥200; 10am-5pm, closed Mon & the day after national holidays) has good displays on Himeji-jō and other castles around Japan. In addition, the museum covers the main periods of Japanese history with some English explanations. At 10.30am, 1.30pm and 3.30pm, one lucky person can even try on a suit of samurai armour or a kimono (ask at the front desk to be included in the lottery).
The museum is a five-minute walk north of the castle. Enter by 30 minutes before closing.
Engyōji
Around 8km northwest of Himeji Station, this mountaintop temple complex (266-3327; 2968 Shosha, Himeji-shi; admission ¥300; 8.30am-5pm) is well worth a visit if you’ve got time after visiting the castle. The temple and surrounding area are most beautiful in the April cherry-blossom season or November momiji (maple-leaf) season.
From the top cable-car station, it’s about a 25-minute walk (about 2km) to the Maniden, one of