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3. Himeji Castle (World Heritage Site & National Treasure)

The CastleHimeji Castle (World Heritage Site & National Treasure)

After Himeji Castle was first constructed as a fort in 1333 by Akamatsu Norimura (Enshin), the feudal lords Hashiba (later known as Toyotomi) Hideyoshi, Ikeda Terumasa, and Honda Tadamasa entrusted their dreams into the castle and in 1617 expanded it to the full grandeur you can see today. The castle's appearance against the blue sky is often compared to an egret taking off from the water, and it is popularly known as "Shirasagi-jo (White Egret Castle). The following praise was also given to the castle when it was designated Japan's first UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993: "It's aesthetic perfection places makes it one of the finest examples of wooden architecture in Japan, unparalleled anywhere in the world," and, "The castle is the best example of Japan's unique defensive castle structure, with its well-preserved turrets, gates, earthen walls, stone walls, moat, and other structures, especially the keep buildings, which were construction in the golden age of castle construction in the early 17th century." In 2015, conservation and repair of the main keep was completed, and visitors are now invited to see the structure's shining white plasterwork, which is a distinctive feature of Himeji Castle.