The city of Himeji is most famous for its beautiful castle, the most famous one in Japan. I only spent a few hours in the city, so in this guide I only talk about two sights in the city. The castle and Koko-en Garden.
The journey to Himeji
I saw many astonishing photos of the castle before my trip to Japan, so it was clear to me that I want to visit the place during my long stay in the country. When I saw that it’s raining on my second day in Kyoto, my next move was to check the weather in Himeji. The weather app showed that it’s only cloudy there, so off I went.
As I had a Japanese rail pass, and the trains run frequently, I just went to the station and checked the timetables there. I had to take a Shinkansen to Osaka, and then change to another one bound to Okayama. The travel time isn’t very long. It only takes around one hour from Kyoto to Himeji.
Arrival in the city
The train station in Himeji is very conveniently located, and you can walk to the castle in 15-20 minutes. You can already see it when you leve the station. So I just followed the main road to the castle, bought some snacks, and arrived there in the early afternoon around 1.30pm.
The entrance fee is 1,000 Yen which is well spent in my opinion. It’s a large area with many corridors and rooms to explore. You can also get a combination ticket of Himeji Castle and Koko-en Garden. It’s just 1,050 Yen and worth it when you plan to spend more time in the city.
Himeji Castle
Himeji Castle dates back to the 14th century when Akamatsu Norimura constructed a fort in the old Harima Province. The current buildings were built in the early 1600s by Ikeda Terumasa after his father gifted him the castle. In the decades after the Meiji Restauration, many lucky circumstances occured that helped the castle survive. First, due to the efforts of an army colonel, Nakamura Shigeto, the castle was saved from demolition. Second, the castle complex was bought by a resident to be demolished for new residential buildings. But the costs of the demolition were too high. Third, during the war a firebomb was dropped on the top floor of the castle, but failed to explode. In the following years, the castle was fully renovated.
I visited the western part of Himeji Castle first which features a small garden area and a long wooden corridor named Nishinomaru. You can enter the corridor, but you have to take off your shoes. I also felt the downside of visiting Japan in the cold season again. You have to take off your shoes frequently, and it can be quite freezing.
From the western part, I walked to the main building, the six-story keep. It’s one of the most amazing buildings I’ve seen. The structures and details are simply breathtaking. Especially the roof tiles which you can see on the top floors have multiple details. Inside the keep, you can see different exhibitions about the castle’s history.
You’re able to visit every single floor of the castle. The top also offers a great view of Himeji and the surrounding hills. As it was late autumn, the colorful forests on the hills were another highlight.
Koko-en Garden
I spent some more time on the castle area before I left for Koko-en Garden. You have to be aware that the castle and garden close relatively early at 5pm (September to mid-April) or 6pm (mid-April to August). So it’s better not to wait too long, as both places take some time to visit.
In comparison to other Japanese gardens, Koko-en is quite unique. Because there are many small gardens which are seperated by walls. I haven’t seen it in another garden yet. I also had luck to be there right in time for the last colorful leaves of autumn. There were already a few blank trees, but overall the trees around the ponds were still very red.
Sometimes, I had problems navigating through the garden area, walls everywhere. It’s also easy to miss a garden, because there are so many of them. To enter one, you have to go through big gates in the walls. Moreover, there’s also a tea house in the garden where you can get a snack. But it was already closed in the late afternoon.
Other sights in Himeji
I’ve visited a few castles during my time in Japan, and in my opinion Himeji Castle is undoubtedly the most beautiful one. So when you’re nearby the city, and interested in Japanese architecture and culture it’s a must-see attraction.
Another amazing sight slightly outside of Himeji is Engyo-ji Temple on Mount Shosha. You don’t even have to walk all the way to the top, because there is a ropeway. As it was already turning dark in Himeji, I decided to stop in Osaka for the evening before returning to Kyoto.