Hyogo｜The Legend of Himeji Castle, Japan's No. 1 Castle That Survived Air Raids

As you exit Himeji Station, you can see Himeji Castle from afar. This snow-white castle brings 450,000 overseas tourists to Himeji every year. Himeji was attacked by air raid in 1945 and the city was severely damaged, but Himeji Castle survived the raid and remained standing in the city center. Throughout history, Himeji has been a defensive fortress west of Kyoto for more than 600 years, but has never been conquered. Today, it is the most well-preserved castle in Japan. Because it is so popular with tourists, in addition to raising ticket prices to control the crowds, the queue to visit the castle tower takes at least an hour. Himeji Castle is "impregnable" because it was built according to the terrain, with many height differences, narrow and slanted stairs, and some corridors with low beams, making it difficult to pass through with weapons such as spears. In addition, there are many defensive slingshots on the second floor that can be used to snipe at incoming enemies. When you look out over the city from the castle tower, you can see how excellent the location is, and how it can give you an advantage in defeating the enemy first. Finally, let me tell you a legend. There is an Akiku Well in Himeji Castle. It is said that the castle lord's concubine went to Aoyama's house as an undercover female agent, but was discovered by Aoyama's retainers. The retainers secretly hid the precious plates of Aoyama's house and slandered Akiku for stealing them. They killed her cruelly and threw her into the well. After that, the sound of a woman counting plates at the bottom of the well was heard at night. Later, Aju was invited to the Juusho Shrine and became the Daimyojin of Yujuku. By the way, I suggest you take Otemae-dori when heading to Himeji Castle, and feel the shock of Himeji Castle getting closer and closer. On the way back, you can walk along the nearby shopping street to feel the atmosphere of Himeji's urban life. 📍Address: 68 Honmachi, Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture, 670-0012 #JanuaryGoodPlaces2025