Himeji Castle

This article is about a World Heritage Site
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The Himeji Castle

Himeji Castle (姫路城) is a Japanese castle which is in Himeji in Hyōgo Prefecture. It includes 83 buildings made of wood. It is sometimes known as Hakurojō or Shirasagijō ("White Heron Castle") because of its brilliant white exterior.

It is a Japanese National Cultural Treasure. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[1]

Along with Matsumoto Castle and Kumamoto Castle, it is one of Japan's "Three Famous Castles", and is the most visited castle in Japan.

Several movies have been filmed at the castle, like Akira Kurosawa's Kagemusha and Ran; The Last Samurai starring Tom Cruise; and the Shogun 1980 TV-miniseries/movie starring Richard Chamberlain.

In 2009, Himeiji Castle was recognized as one of the 100 Landscapes of Japan which best show contemporary Japan and its culture in the Heisei period.[2]

Related pages[change | change source]

References[change | change source]

  1. UNESCO, "Himeji-jo"; retrieved 2012-4-18.
  2. "100 Landscapes of Heisei announced," Yomiuri Shimbun. May 2009; retrieved 2012-3-30.

Other websites[change | change source]

Media related to Himeji Castle at Wikimedia Commons