When you leave the station, you'll see it right in front of you. It's white, big, and beautiful. It's impressive. The inside of the castle doesn't seem to be particularly different from other castles in Japan. But the surrounding area is very well maintained, as you'd expect from a World Heritage Site.

We really enjoyed our tour around Himeji Castle. There were a lot of steps and steep paths, but it was worth it. Also very hot as we went in a warm September. But the guide waS lovely and there is a machine for buying water. Also need to take your shoes off to enter so take socks if you don't want to be bare foot

Amazing Castle with a rich history. It has a unique Japanese construction and is perfectly preserved. There could be more artefacts on display, particularly Samurai weaponry, but the building itself, which dominates the skyline around it, was breathtaking. there are some beautiful gardens nearby called Koko. We were at the wrong time of year to see them in their full glory, but worthwhile.

I really enjoyed seeing Himeji castle and it was made especially worthwhile by my brilliant tour guide, Hidekazu Fujioka who was so knowledgeable about the castle’s architecture and history. Without this, I don’t think I would’ve gained much knowledge about the castle as there is little information onsite. This tour was free and available from the entrance of the castle - I’d highly highly recommend it!

The castle is beautiful, and can be overwhelming for older people.It has many flights of steps. I read a very sad story about a princess there. She originally married Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s son. His father with the same name was a shogun in the 1500’s who banned Christianity from Japan. The marriage of a six year old girl marrying a nine year boy did not work out. Then the princess married someone at age 19. She had a daughter first, and then a son. Her son died at 2 years old, and then her husband died. The Princess was very upset about the family deaths so she left the castle moved to Edo, and became a Buddhist Nun the rest of her life. Do not know who took care of her daughter when she left the castle.

Worth the hype. One of the best day trips you can make out of Osaka. If you make it early enough, make sure to avail the free English tour from one of the guides near the entrance. Our guide, Takumi-san was great and made sure to educate us on the castle itself during the tour.

We took the train from Osaka to visit himeji castle early in the morning. We arrived at opening and it was really something spectacular. The whole castle is maintained with the original interior. It is a huge site with some amazing views inside and outside. This really is a must-see!

There castle was as pictured, it looked majestic and so easy to imagine how the people who used to occupy the area lived around the Edo period. You need to remove shoes when you go in which was not ideal during winter as the floors are cold. I paid for the castle and the gardens, however was not able to visit the garden as there was no clear directions on how to reach it.

As of the morning of April 4th, the cherry blossoms were only half in bloom in the square outside the castle. Himeji Castle Night Cherry Blossom Event "Senhime Fantasy Kuruwa" 2024/3/29-4/7 Admission fee: ¥600 There are several paid parking lots a little further away. You can only view the cherry blossoms in the castle gardens, and you cannot enter the castle interior. Also, the slope is steep and there are steps, so it is not recommended for people with weak legs. As of April 2nd, the cherry blossoms had not yet bloomed much, but it was empty, so I think it was a good event.

Himeji Castle, a Japan national treasure, is the most visited castle in Japan. It is definitely a must go for anyone visiting the Kansai area. It looks so beautiful with its well maintained white plaster walls from afar. There are 6 storeys of narrow and steep wooden stairs made accessible to visitors. It is interesting to learn about the castle history of the ruling classes of the feudal period. We were here on 4 April 2024, the peak of the Sakura blooming. It is such a privilege to admire the 1000 cherry trees with full blossom with the beautiful castle as the backdrop.