World Cultural Heritage Series: Himeji Castle

Himeji Castle: "Wooden buildings fall in Hyogo, and Himeji Castle soars high" ℹ️Introduction: Himeji Castle has many titles, including "Japan's Three Great Castles", "The First Batch of World Cultural Heritage Sites", "Japan's 100 Great Castles" and "National Special Historic Site"! ! Like Wakayama Castle, Himeji Castle has a "connected castle tower", but one very special thing is that the castle walls are all "white", which is different from all the castles in Japan. It can be seen that its status is very special! ! 📚Tips: "Japan's Three Great Castles": Himeji Castle, Kumamoto Castle, Matsumoto Castle "White Castle": Fire has always been a common disaster in Japan. Most Japanese castles are built with wood, while Himeji Castle is built with white plaster walls with a lime base, which is not only fireproof but also beautiful. 📖Class time: The predecessor of this castle was Himeyama Castle, which was built in 1346 by the military commander Akamatsu Sadanori. Himeji Castle was originally small in size, but gradually expanded over time and became an important base for ruling the western part of Japan. After Toyotomi Hideyoshi entered the castle in 1580, he carried out large-scale repairs on the castle, including the construction of a three-story castle tower, and renamed the castle "Himeji Castle". After the war subsided, the lord of the castle, Honda Tadamasa, repaired and expanded the castle, and in 1618 it was roughly completed to its current size. 📗Countryside Tales: ～ Banshu Sarayashiki ～ Legend has it that Aoyama Tetsuzan, a retainer of Himeji Castle lord Kodera Noritsuko, planned to seize the castle and rebel. After Kodera Noritsuko's loyal retainer discovered this, he sent his concubine to infiltrate Aoyama's household as a maid. Later, it was discovered by the retainers of the Aoyama family. However, because the retainers liked this maid, they promised not to report it if she agreed to take a concubine, but the maid refused. In order to retaliate, the retainers of the Aoyama family secretly hid one of the 10-piece plates passed down by the Aoyama family and put the blame on the maid. After the maid died, her body was thrown into the well. Every night, you can hear someone counting the plates. This well is called "Akiku Well" and it is still in the city~ ～Geibuhime～ Legend has it that there is a female monster 👹 who meets with the city lord once a year to tell him about the future fate of the north city. There are many versions of this story. Will you happen to meet her during your visit? ～Miyamoto Musashi's Monster Extermination～ He was once ordered to destroy the monsters in the castle tower. It is said that the sword on his waist protected Musashi from the flames. At dawn, a princess appeared and said, "I am the god of protection, the god of protection. Thanks to your arrival, the monsters have fled. As a thank you, I give you this sword." Nowadays, there is a "Geibu Shrine" on the top floor of the castle tower⛩️, where the god of protection is enshrined! ✨Must-see highlights: ~ Castle Tower ~ It is a "connected castle tower" with a characteristic of connecting the five-story, six-step large castle tower with three smaller castle towers located in the east, west, and northwest through turrets. Among them, the big castle tower, the small castle tower and the turret are all designated as national treasures. The Himeji Castle and other castle towers are the largest and tallest existing ones in Japan! ! This shows its grandeur and extraordinary historical status❗️ ～Otemon Gate～ This is the main gate of Himeji Castle and was built in the style of the "Koryo Gate". Its main purpose was to defend against foreign invasions. However, it was demolished during the Meiji Restoration. The gate you see now was rebuilt in 1938. ～Cruise around the moat～ You can cruise around the Himeji Castle moat on a pleasure boat modeled after the Japanese ships used by the Himeji Domain during the Edo Period and built using traditional techniques. While listening to the introduction of the boatman wearing a Japanese-style bamboo hat, you can enjoy the elegant water cruise. The whole journey takes about 30 minutes. The event is not available throughout the year and reservations are required❗️❗️ ～Jiromidai Park⛲️～ Selected as one of the "10 World Heritage Sites of Himeji", this is the place where you can see the beautiful Himeji Castle from afar. If you are a photography enthusiast, don't miss it! ～Hinohonmon～ The largest gate of Himeji Castle is designated as an "Important Cultural Property". The gate adopts an irregular "Masu-shaped tiger's mouth" design. There is only a stone wall on the left side of the gate, which is very useful for defending against foreign invasions. 📍Address: 68 Honmachi, Himeji City 🕰️Business hours: 09:00-17:00 (last admission at 16:00) 09:00-18:00 (last admission at 17:00, summer) 🎟️Per capita consumption: Adults: 1,000 yen Elementary and junior high school students: 300 yen Preschoolers: Free 🆓 🚴Transportation: 1. Take the express train bound for Himeji from JR Kobe Station and get off at Himeji Station 2. Take the Shinki Bus from the north exit of Himeji Station and get off at the Otemon-mae bus stop 3. About 5 minutes on foot from Otemonmae Station 💞Recommended reasons: 1. With so many titles in one, how can you not go and take a look! ! 2. World Cultural Heritage~ You know it😏～～ 3. Don’t miss it if you love flower viewing, especially the maple-rooted cherry blossoms 4. Travelers who love photography should not miss it, no matter how you take pictures, they will be beautiful😍 5. A place full of history and culture, a must-visit for history lovers~ 🗓️Itinerary: Himeji Castle - Kokoen Garden - Himeji City Zoo #100 Ways to Travel #Himeji Castle #World Cultural Heritage #Japan's 100 Greatest Cities #Japan's Three Great Cities #Hyogo Prefecture Tourism