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Himeji Castle

Hyogo

Hyogo runs from the Pacific side of Japan to the Japan Sea side, which is unusual, and it means the prefecture holds a port city, a white castle, two famous hot springs and a beef.

Official site Hyogo — Visit HYOGO in English ›

Places to seeWhere to go in Hyogo

Start with the first of these. Each is worth half a day.

Himeji Castle

Himeji Castle

The original white keep, never burned or rebuilt. Fifteen minutes on foot from the shinkansen.

Half a dayNo car needed
MAP
Kobe

Kobe

A port city between mountains and sea, with a harbour, Chinatown and a cable car.

A full dayYou can ride
MAP
Kinosaki Onsen

Kinosaki Onsen

Seven public baths along a canal, walked between in cotton robes and wooden sandals.

Stay a nightYou can get in
MAP
Arima Onsen

Arima Onsen

A hot spring of iron-brown and clear water, half an hour from Kobe.

Half a dayYou can get in
MAP
flower fields on Awaji with the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge

Awaji Island

An island of onion fields, flower parks and a whirlpool strait, joined to Kobe by a long bridge.

A full day
MAP
the shops and lanterns of Nankinmachi

Kobe Chinatown

Japan’s second Chinatown, three streets of steamed buns and small restaurants near the port.

2 hours
MAP
Koko-en garden below Himeji Castle

Himeji Koko-en

Nine walled gardens beside Himeji Castle, built on the site of the old samurai residences.

1 hour
MAP
the Shinkoro clock tower at Izushi

Izushi

A small castle town of clock tower and soba shops, where the noodles come in small stacked plates.

Half a day
MAP
All places to see in Hyogo MAP

The same five pages on every prefectureEverything about Hyogo

Places to see› Food & restaurants› Where to stay & onsen› Getting around› With children / with parents›

What Hyogo is

Himeji Castle is the reason most people come. It has never burned down, never fallen, and was never rebuilt — the white keep you walk into is the original, finished in 1609. It is fifteen minutes on foot from the shinkansen station, which makes it one of the easiest great sights in Japan to reach.

ArrivingHow to get to Hyogo

Getting in: Kobe Airport · Shin-Kobe Station (shinkansen) · Himeji Station (shinkansen) · Kansai Airport is close

When to comeThe same place, four different places

Pick the season first and the days will arrange themselves.

Spring in Japan — seasonal artwork
March – May

Cherry blossom around Himeji Castle in early April — white castle, pink trees, and it is worth the crowd.

Summer in Japan — seasonal artwork
June – August

Wet in June. Kobe stays a little cooler than Osaka because of the sea breeze.

Autumn in Japan — seasonal artwork
September – November

Clear and dry, and the best months for the north coast.

Winter in Japan — seasonal artwork
December – February

Snow crab season at Kinosaki, which is when that town is fully booked. Reserve early.

Where to go nextNowhere in Japan is far from anywhere

Osaka› Kyoto› Okayama› Tottori› Tokushima› Castles› Hot springs› World heritage› All 47 prefectures›

Find it fastEverything in Hyogo

Places
Himeji Castle Kobe Kinosaki Onsen Arima Onsen All places to see
Food in Hyogo
Kobe beef Akashi-yaki Snow crab Sake at Nada Awaji onion ramen Where to eat
Practical
Getting around Where to stay With children Trains and IC cards Words that work MAP
Photo: Himeji Castle by Gorgo (Public domain), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Himeji Castle by Fin 22 (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Kobe by clear_and_sunny (CC BY 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Kinosaki Onsen by Samchan91 (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Arima Onsen by 663highland (CC BY 2.5), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: by Manish Prabhune (CC BY 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: by kanesue (CC BY 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: by Maechan0360 (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: by Samchan91 (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits and licences
The map on this page is drawn for Let's! and is not a survey map.
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