Discover Himeji – The Flying Castle

Text and photos:Bamboo

I arrived at Himeji Castle in Hyogo Prefecture on a beautiful day. From afar, the nearly 700-year-old castle gleamed in the sunlight like a white crane spreading its wings, just as many people call it (White Heron Castle). This was the first castle in Japan to be recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.

Few people know that more than 150 years ago, before becoming a national treasure, Himeji Castle was sold for only 23.5 yen at the end of the samurai era (equivalent to 100,000 Japanese yen today, about 20 million VND). Throughout the entire castle, you won't find a single nail, because Himeji uses a mortise and tenon joint technique to connect the wooden columns and beams, demonstrating the pinnacle of precision and sophistication in construction.

Trang thông tin du lịch và phong cách sống Travellive+

Unlike other castles, Himeji Castle has retained almost its original architecture intact. You can walk on the rough wooden floor, hundreds of years old, and touch the massive stone slabs from the early days.

Himeji Castle, built atop Himeyama Hill at a height of 45.6 meters, is famous for its complex, labyrinthine defense system. As we passed a stone cellar, Masato Furukawa, my travel companion, pointed to a small corner and excitedly revealed one of the castle's traps: simply pulling out a small stone slab would cause a section of the castle to collapse, trapping enemy soldiers. Interestingly, most of the traps in the castle are still functional. Hopefully, no young visitor will be sharp enough to spot this stone slab!

Himeji is also an interesting place where software applications like Pokemon help you discover historical stories. After downloading the Himeji Castle Great Discovery app and scanning the AR billboards along the way, you'll watch a short film simulating what happened there. You'll witness the story of Princess Senhime, the Ubagaishi stone – the wisdom of the old widow…

If you wish, you can also participate in classes on making Kamaboko fish cakes and traditional Chikuwa squid cakes, and enjoy Matcha tea in the Koko-en garden west of Himeji Castle.

Additional information:

-Entrance fee to Himeji Castle: 1,000 yen/adult & 300 yen/child

- Koko-en entrance fee: 300 yen/adult & 150 yen/child (children under 6 years old are free)

- Combination Ticket: 1,040 yen/adult & 360 yen/child