Visiting Himeji – Japan’s Grandest Castle and Ancient Temples
Located between the Japanese cities of Okayama and Kobe lies the city of Himeji. Not known to many foreigners, Himeji is one of Japan’s best kept secrets. Himeji is home to Japan’s most beautiful and grandest castle, Himeji Castle. Himeji Castle dates back to 1609 and is still intact. Himeji Castle has escaped being damaged by civil wars, WWII, and natural disasters. When visiting Himeji, the castle is a must but there are many attractions that are worthwhile, especially if taking a day trip to Himeji. Across from the castle lies the beautiful Koko-en Gardens, there is a fantastic arcade street with dining and shopping options, and don’t forget to visit Mt. Shosha and Engyo-ji, an ancient temple complex found on a hillside, made famous as being the setting for several scenes in Tom Cruise’s movie, The Last Samurai.
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How to Travel to Himeji
Traveling to Himeji by train is the easiest mode of transportation besides rental car. But Himeji is accessible by Shinkansen from the cities of Hiroshima, Okayama, Kobe, and Osaka. For a cheaper means of travel, there are JR lines that go to Himeji Station. The local JR lines are cheaper but do take more time then the Shinkansen. Even if taking a JR line to Himeji, the seats on the train cars are comfortable and spacious.
Both JR and Shinkansen make stops at Himeji Station, Himeji’s main train station.
What to Do and See in Himeji
If you are looking for things to do in Himeji and wondering if Himeji is worth a day trip? My answer is that there is plenty to see in a day and Himeji is absolutely worth visiting! Himeji is home to Himeji Castle, which is the largest castle in Japan, visitors can easily spend a half day at the castle alone. But I don’t recommend coming to Himeji for the castle alone. There is the beautiful Koko-en Gardens nearby and a short bus ride away is Mt. Shosha and Engyo-ji. If visiting Himeji for a day or more, here are some of the must visit attractions, places, and sites in and around the city of Himeji.
Himeji Castle
Himeji Castle, nicknamed the “White Heron Castle,” due to its white exterior is Japan’s most beautiful, largest, and most visited castle.
Himeji Castle is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The main keep (towering structure seen in all my photos) is the oldest portion of the castle and was built in 1601. In Japan, there are a total of 12 original Castles, Himeji being one of them. Himeji was never destroyed during civil wars and was untouched during WWII, even escaping natural disasters. Because Himeji Castle has been relatively untouched, it is considered to be the most complete original castle in Japan.
Himeji Castle consists of the Main Keep, Hyakken Roka (long corridor), Hishi-no-Mon (Hishi Gate), and several other gates, bailey’s, and defensive buildings. This castle was built primarily for warfare. The castle had parapet walls, loopholes for archers and gunners, and openings from the keeps to fire at attackers. According to a brochure at the site, Himeji Castle was never attacked, so it was mainly used for administration of the daimyo.
Himeji Castle Admission and Hours
Admission
For Himeji Castle Only
Adults – ¥1000
Children – ¥300
Combined Ticket that includes both Himeji Castle and Kokoen Gardens
Adults – ¥1050
Children – ¥360
Hours
9:00 – 17:00 (Last Entry is 16:00)
Visiting Himeji Castle Today
Visitors from around the world flock to this UNESCO Site in order to see and walk inside Japan’s most stunning castle. Now that Japan is open to all visitors, expect to see lines of people at the admission counter and to enter the main keep. There is a 15,000 person daily limit for the main keep, so my advice on visiting Himeji is to come early.
After paying the admission, visitors can freely walk the castle grounds. I recommend visiting the keep first as the keep tends to get crowded. Afterwards, the grounds are quite spacious, so you’ll have more breathing room to see the castle gates, Hyakken Roka, and other castle features. Don’t miss the Hyakken Roka. It’s a one way route and is quite surprising how long this building is. Inside the Hyakken Roka, there is a lot of great information to read about the castle and some of the residents, Princess Sen being the most famous Castle resident. Feel free to read more about Princess Sen on the Himeji Castle website.
Like many historical buildings and castle throughout Japan, it is required to take your shoes off before entering the main keep and Hyakken Roka. Plastic bags are distributed to visitors to place your shoes in and carry. At the end of the tour, the plastic bags can be recycled in big bins provided.
Himeji Castle During Sakura Season
Sakura season in Japan is one of the best times to visit. In late March into early April, Sakura Trees are in full bloom. White flowers from the trees provide magnificent beauty to the already beautiful atmosphere and landscape. Sakura Trees can be found throughout Himeji’s castle grounds.
Although a beautiful time of year to visit Japan and sites like Himeji, it also means more crowds and longer lines. We visited Himeji the first weekend in April (2023) and the Sakura Trees were in full bloom, we couldn’t have visited at a more perfect time. The entire grassy area in front of Himeji Castle was full of locals setting up their elaborate picnics. By the looks of the size and amount of food and alcoholic beverages, I knew most people planned a whole day here to sit, relax, and enjoy the beautiful Sakura Trees at the base of Himeji Castle.
Even though we battled crowds, stood in lines, and were herded through the main keep like cattle, I found Sakura season at Himeji Castle to be a beautiful and magical time of year.
Koko-en Gardens
Adjacent from Himeji Castle are the Koko-en Gardens. If visiting Himeji Castle, I recommend getting the combined ticket for ¥1050 and seeing both the castle and gardens.
Koko-en Gardens was not a royal garden or had any connections with the castle. These gardens were created in 1992 at the site of former Samurai warrior homes. Don’t let this be a deterrent as these gardens are beautiful and unique. There are 9 different gardens that are within the walls of Koko-en. Visitors have the chance to walk through a traditional Japanese garden, a flower garden, bamboo garden, and pine tree garden.
There is a marked route that is recommended to follow. So there is no reason for anyone to get lost or turned around. On the grounds of the garden is also a tea house and restaurant. When we visited (April, 2023), there was a long line at the restaurant during lunch time, so we skipped this and continued into the gardens.
Koko-en Admission and Hours
Admission
For Koko-en Gardens Only
Adults – ¥300
Children – ¥150
Combined Ticket that includes both Himeji Castle and Kokoen Gardens
Adults – ¥1050
Children – ¥360
Hours
9:00 – 17:00
Miyukidori
Himeji has an extensive arcade street called Miyukidori. Miyukidori is the perfect place to do some last minute shopping, especially for souvenirs.
I recommend strolling Miyukidori after seeing the castle but before 17:00 since many shops tend to close around then. While walking around Miyukidori, you might find shops that sell souvenirs like chop sticks or Tanuki Statues. There are also grocery and convenience stores here.
Miyukidori does have a few dining options. The first time we went to Himeji, during Covid, we found a little Shokudo that had amazing set meals. Unfortunately, I believe this little local restaurant has closed since the last time we visited. But there are other dining options like Izakaya’s, ramen, and sushi. For a better food scene, there are other arcade streets throughout town that are focused more on dining and not shopping like Miyukidori.
Mt. Shosha and Engyo-ji
A quick 20-25 minute bus ride from Himeji Castle will bring you to the footsteps of Mt. Shosha and Engyo-ji. Engyo-ji is the temple complex on top of Mt. Shosha.
After making it to the top of Mt. Shosha by either hiking the trail or taking the ropeway, all visitors will end up at the same place. There is an admission booth at the entrance, afterwards you can freely walk the temple complex. I would allow anywhere from 2-4 hours to fully explore Engyo-ji.
Engyo-ji is an ancient temple and was founded some 1,000 years ago by a Buddhist Priest by the name of Shoku. Within the temple complex, there are dozens of temples, religious buildings and monuments, tombs, and other important cultural properties. Some buildings like the Maniden and Daikodo, visitors can walk inside, but remember to remove your shoes.
Before entering the main gate, Niomon to Engyo-ji, the trail leading from the admission booth to Niomon is lined with interesting Buddha Statues. Like our trip to Horyu-ji, a local tour guide approached us and asked if they could give us a free tour of the temple. Without hesitation, we said yes and learned so much more from her then we would ever had walking on our own.
Engyo-ji is surrounded by ancient forests. One of the trees here is estimated to be between 700 and 800 years old. unpaved trails are located throughout the complex, so be cautious especially when weather conditions are not ideal.
Two of the most famous sites at Engyo-ji are the Maniden and Daikodo.
According to a sign at the Maniden Main Hall, the Maniden was built in AD 970 to worship the Goddess of Mercy.
Daikodo is the Great Lecture Hall that was built in AD 986. Daikodo was a build as a place for teaching and is considered to be the most important building at Engyo-ji.
Mt. Shosha Scenes from The Last Samurai
Besides the beauty and peacefulness of Engyo-ji many visitors know of Mt. Shosha because it was used to film several scenes in Tom Cruise’s move, The Last Samurai. Scenes were shot at both Maniden and Daikodo as well as the temple grounds.
Our tour guide told us that Tom Cruise flew into Kobe on a private helicopter but took the local train from Kobe to Himeji daily for filming.
There is a teahouse on the grounds of Engyo-ji and Tom Cruise signed something for the teahouse. The owner was very proud of the autograph and hung it up inside. Unfortunately, one day the autograph went missing, meaning someone stole it. So Tom Cruise, if you are reading this, can you send an autograph to Hazuki Teahouse on Mt. Shosha in Himeji? Thanks!
Getting to the Mt. Shosha Area from Himeji Castle
The first time I visited Mt. Shosha, I lived on mainland and drove here with my personal vehicle. This time around, I took a bus from Himeji Castle to Mt. Shosha. The bus was easier then expected and highly recommended.
For starters, there is a #8 bus that leaves to Mt. Shosha from Himeji Station, Himeji Castle, and Koko-en Gardens.
We got on at a bus stop (Google Maps Coordinates: 34.8374124,134.6875048) by the Otemon Parking Lot across from Koko-en Gardens. There are also us stops near Himeji Castle at the Otemae Park. Just remember to take the #8 bus. The bus will drop passengers off right at the Mt. Shosha Ropeway. Cost for a one-way trip was ¥280.
There are two ways to reach the top of Mt. Shosha. Visitors can choose to hike the trail to the top of the hill. It’s only about an hours hike, nothing to difficult but can be a challenge during the hot summer months. The second option is to take the Mt. Shosha Ropeway. The lifts on the ropeway have a capacity to fit several people and they come every 15 minutes.
Mt. Shosha and Engyo-ji Temple Admission and Hours
Admission
For Mt. Shosha Ropeway
One Way – ¥600
Roundtrip – ¥1000
Entrance to Engyo-ji
All Visitors – ¥500
Hours
Engyo-ji
8:30 – 18:00
Mt. Shosha Ropeway
8:30 – 19:00
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