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Himeji Castle or Himeji-jo is a World Heritage Site in Japan. It stands as the finest example of 17th century Japanese castle architecture.

The history of Himeji Castle goes back to 1333, when Akamatsu Norimura erected a fort at the top of Himeyama Hill. This fort was later modified and turned into Himeyama Castle. Two centuries later, it was remodelled yet again, into what we know today as Himeji Castle. It underwent a major facelift under the shogun Tokugawa Hideyoshi in 1581. The castle was given in 1600 by Tokugawa Ieyasu to Ikeda Terumasa as an award for the help he rendered.


Himeji Castle, Japan
Himeji Castle, Japan
Author: Reggaeman (public domain)

 Under Ikeda, Himeji Castle was completely rebuilt and made into an even larger castle complex. More buildings were added to it between 1617 to 1618 by Honda Tadamasa. The castle has since withstood the onslaught of World War II and the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake.

Himeji Castle was inscribed as a World Heritage Site during the 17th session of the World Heritage Committee in Cartagena, Colombia, on 6 - 11 December, 1993.

World Heritage Site Inscription Details

Location: N 34 49 60 E 134 41 60 in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan
Inscription Year: 1993
Type of Site: Cultural
Inscription Criteria: I, IV

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