The most magnificent Japanese castle

Himeji-Jo -- Himeji Castle is indisputably the most magnificent Japanese castle still standing in its original form. It has been home to 48 lords and the castle grounds are quite extensive.

Ask anyone who lives in Japan and they will tell you that
Himeji is far and away the best castle in Japan.
It's a must-see for any castle-lover visiting Japan!

To get there, my friends and I took the fabled Shinkansen! The distance to Himeji from Wakayama is not exceedingly far, but we saved an entire hour taking the bullet train.

Some people refer to Himeji castle as the "white heron castle" because they believe that it resembles a heron in its tall, white elegance. It was originally constructed in the 14th century by the powerful clan Norimura Akamatsu. Later the castle was enlarged and altered by successive lords. The entire castle itself is a National Treasure.

The castle grounds consist of a five-story donjon, three smaller donjons, fully defensible walls with towers, a moat, defense turrets, numerous gates and gardens and encompasses an area of 220,000 square meters!

For more detail click here.