Japan's greatest surviving feudal castle — the White Heron
Himeji is home to what is considered Japan's finest feudal castle — Himeji Castle, the White Heron (Shirasagijo), a UNESCO World Heritage site and National Treasure. Unlike most Japanese castles rebuilt in concrete after WWII, Himeji Castle survived the war intact and retains its original 17th-century timber structure. The labyrinthine grounds with their defensive corridors, trapdoors, and machicolations are as impressive as the towering white donjon, especially when the cherry trees around the moat are in full bloom. The Koko-en garden adjacent to the castle grounds is an exceptional stroll…
A fort was first built on Himeyama hill in 1333, but the castle complex as it stands was created by Ikeda Terumasa between 1601 and 1609 after Tokugawa Ieyasu granted him the domain after the Battle of Sekigahara. The castle was never attacked in battle, which explains its extraordinary state of preservation. It served as a film location for Akira Kurosawa's Ran, and was the setting for James Bond's You Only Live Twice. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993, it underwent a major restoration between 2010 and 2015.