Himeji Castle in Hyogo Prefecture is known as the "White Heron Castle" for its brilliant white plaster walls. Its keep complex, which preserves the appearance of the early Edo period almost intact, is a National Treasure, and in 1993 the castle became one of Japan's first UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
History
A castle is said to have stood at Himeji since the 14th century. After serving as a base for Hashiba (Toyotomi) Hideyoshi, the site was greatly enlarged from 1601 by Ikeda Terumasa, who took over the domain after the Battle of Sekigahara and laid the foundations of the castle seen today. Powerful daimyo families such as the Honda, Sakakibara and Sakai later held the castle until the end of the shogunate. In modern times it survived the threat of demolition and has undergone major restoration work in the Showa and Heisei eras.
Highlights
- A linked keep complex: the main keep and three smaller keeps joined by connecting corridors
- Exterior finished entirely in white plaster
- A winding approach with many gates, designed to confuse attackers
Map
Sources
- 公益財団法人日本城郭協会 日本100名城一覧 / retrieved 2026-09-30
- Wikidata（座標）（CC0） / retrieved 2026-09-30
- Wikipedia「姫路城」（参照）（CC BY-SA 4.0） / retrieved 2026-09-30
- Photo: Himeji castle in may 2015.jpg（Nikos Kitsakis / CC BY-SA 4.0）
