Japan Photo Guide

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Not only is Himeji Castle considered by many to be the best castle in all of Japan, but it is also considered by many to be one of the best places to view the annual cherry blossoms. Knowing this I made plans to go during cherry blossom season season and I would have to say that in both ways Himeji Castle lives up to it’s reputation. Himeji Castle is lucky enough to never have been damaged by war or earthquake and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

I had planned to spend only half a day at Himeji Castle (this would have been easily possible if I wanted to) but I found Himeji Castle and the surroundings too beautiful to only spend half the day making photographs there. Many people do make this a day or half day trip when visiting Kyoto or Osaka. If possible I STRONGLY recommend you visit Himeji Castle during cherry blossom season (around 1st week of April) but if you are in Japan at another time of year, the castle itself (and view from the top of the castle) is worth the trip.

By Shinkansen, Himeji Castle is an about 45 minutes to an hour away from Kyoto and about 3.5 hours from Tokyo. For detailed information about getting to and around Himeji Castle please see Japan-Guide.com. Also, here is the official Himeji Castle English Homepage