Himeji Castle: One of Japan’s most Exotic Castles

Japan is an exotic country with a lot beautiful buildings, temples, and castles. While we were in Kyoto, Japan, we were determined to visit at least one Japanese castle. We eventually decided to ride the train to a small city called Himeji, which is located in the Kansai region of Japan. It was time to visit the largest, most popular, and best preserved castle in all of Japan!

This is Himeji Castle. It is also referred to as Hakuro-jō (“White Egret Castle”) or Shirasagi-jō (“White Heron Castle”) because the castle’s white exterior design supposedly resembles a bird taking flight.

The Himeji Castle, is one of the three premier castles in all of Japan. In fact, Himeji Castle, is regarded as an excellent example of Japanese castle architecture. It was also named as one of the first UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Japan.

I found the white exterior of the castle beautiful. The castle complex was fairly large, so we spent a few hours exploring both the outdoor walkways and interior. At the top floor of the castle, we found this small shrine. The views from the top of the castle were also very spectacular!

If you have time for only one castle while in Japan, I would definitely recommend the Himeji Castle. It is simply beautiful!