Himeji Castle

姫路城

The white "heron" keep, Japan's best-known original castle

⚠ Entry now ¥2,500 (2026)

Hours

9am–5pm (last entry 4pm); closed 29–30 Dec

Tickets

Adults 18+ ¥2,500 (Himeji residents ¥1,000), under 18 free; combined with Kokoen ¥2,600

Address

68 Honmachi, Himeji, Hyogo

Its white plaster walls are said to look like a heron spreading its wings, hence the nickname Shirasagi-jo, the White Heron Castle. The keep, finished around 1609, survived wars and earthquakes in its original form, and in 1993 the castle became one of Japan's first World Heritage sites. You thread through maze-like gates and stone walls, then take off your shoes and climb steep wooden stairs to the top floor, the steps worn smooth over four centuries. The top windows look down over the city.