Located in Himeji City in the southwestern part of Hyōgo Prefecture, there are numerous attractions worth visiting, led by Himeji Castle — a national treasure, World Heritage Site, and one of Japan's top 100 castles — which attracts many tourists who love Japanese historical architecture. Built in 1346, Himeji Castle is one of the best-preserved ancient castles in Japan and is highly regarded worldwide. Since its construction, it has been home to 48 generations of lords from 13 different clans, during which time it underwent multiple renovations, yet its beautiful appearance has been preserved to this day. The complex structure of the main keep and three smaller keeps, known as a connected keep-style castle, has been fully preserved. The plaster-coated main keep and watchtowers present elegant exteriors that resemble a white heron about to take flight — hence Himeji Castle is also famously known as the "White Heron Castle."

 

Currently, Himeji Castle is undergoing a conservation and renovation project that will take approximately5years,2014starting from1(month)16(day) of2015(year)3to26(month)2015(day) of3(year),27due to the dismantling work on the roof covering the main keep, entry to the main keep complex will be unavailable. However, apart from the main keep, there are still plenty of other scenic spots within the castle grounds that are well worth seeing and remain open as usual.