ARCHITECTUREJAPAN
The linked keeps of Himeji Castle

Castles · Historic Buildings

Himeji Castle姫路城

Location
Hyōgo Prefecture Himeji
Main keep completed
1609

Photo: Nikos Kitsakis, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

02

Overview

A cluster of white-plastered keeps, like a white heron spreading its wings. Japan's first World Heritage Site.

Its main keep was completed in 1609 (Keichō 14) by Ikeda Terumasa. The linked keep complex, joining the main keep and three smaller keeps with connecting turrets, survives from before the Edo period and is designated a National Treasure.

Its walls, fully coated in white plaster, have earned it the name "White Heron Castle" (Shirasagi-jō). In 1993, together with Hōryū-ji, it became one of Japan's first World Heritage Sites. The "Great Heisei Restoration" was carried out from 2009 to 2015.

This description has been translated from the Japanese original.

Official website

03

Data

Only verified information is shown.

Main keep completed
1609
Location
68 Honmachi, Himeji, Hyōgo Prefecture
Inscribed as World Heritage
1993
Great Heisei Restoration
2009–2015
Category
CastlesHistoric BuildingsKansai

05

Videos

Related videos (YouTube)

Video titles and channel names are shown in their original language. Copyright belongs to each video's publisher.

Public institutionSource: 『旅するように学ぶ世界遺産』世界遺産検定公式YouTubeチャンネル (YouTube)Watch on YouTube ↗

Playing loads the video from YouTube (privacy-enhanced mode).

NewsSource: BBC Timestamp (YouTube)Watch on YouTube ↗

Playing loads the video from YouTube (privacy-enhanced mode).

06

Location

68 Honmachi, Himeji, Hyōgo Prefecture

Open in Google Maps ↗Get directions ↗Open in OpenStreetMap ↗

08

Sources

References

09

Photo Credits

Image sources, authors and licences

  • 01Himeji castle in may 2015.jpg

    Photo: Nikos Kitsakis

    CC BY-SA 4.0·CC BY-SA (Attribution-ShareAlike)·Wikimedia Commons

  • 02Himeji castle 20241025- YAS2703.jpg

    Photo: Yasuo Hamashima

    CC BY-SA 4.0·CC BY-SA (Attribution-ShareAlike)·Wikimedia Commons

  • 03Himeji Castle 01s2048.jpg

    Photo: 663highland

    CC BY 2.5·CC BY (Attribution)·Wikimedia Commons

  • 04Japan 040416 Himeji Castle 005.jpg

    Photo: Oren Rozen

    CC BY-SA 4.0·CC BY-SA (Attribution-ShareAlike)·Wikimedia Commons

  • 05Himeji Castle, Hyōgo Prefecture; August 2018 (04).jpg

    Photo: _steffen

    CC BY-SA 2.0·CC BY-SA (Attribution-ShareAlike)·Wikimedia Commons

  • Photos have been resized and colour-graded for consistent display. Adapted CC BY-SA photos may be reused under the same licence terms.