Expert-led Private Night Tour of Himeji Castle, World Heritage Site and National Treasure

The Unique Ivory-white Beauty of Himeji Castle

Himeji Castle is widely known in Japan by its nickname Shirasagi-jo (“The White Heron Castle”) for the way its color and sweeping silhouette evoke such a bird spreading its white-plumed wings. Built in the 16th Century, the castle’s magnificence has survived present day thanks to renovations by several eminent historical military leaders, including Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Ikeda Terumasa. Today, it is one of the country’s most famous castles, noted as a masterpiece of wooden architecture for its elegant white plaster exterior and high degree of graceful architectural complexity.

Beauty that has survived the upheavals of history

Himeji Castle attracts visitors for its historical value. Built during the turbulence of the 16th Century (the middle of the aptly named Sengoku, or “Warring States” period), it made it through the violence of those times intact. It also survived the bombing campaigns of WWII, during which many other historical sites burned down. Thanks to the efforts of its local community, it has been lovingly preserved ever since to serve as a symbol of Himeji City.

An up-close look at the castle’s intricate architectural features

Himeji Castle rose in global prominence when it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993. It is also famous as the only castle in Japan exhibiting a complex keep structure, in which the main keep is connected by enclosed multistory passageways to three smaller tower keeps, forming an enclosed rectangular space. This is truly a wondrous national treasure piled high with history and culture.

The Mysterious Charm of the Castle by Night

Himeji Castle normally closes to the public at 04:00 PM in the winter and 05:00 PM in the summer, but this special experience allows you to tour it privately in the after-hours. It’s also a great chance to photograph the castle without crowds of other visitors, capturing special memories or shooting interesting compositions that would be impossible during the day.

Plumb the mysteries of the impregnable Himeji Castle

World-class lighting artist Mikiko Ishii designed the lighting of the castle, which is illuminated every evening from sunset to midnight in clean white light that highlights the beauty of its plaster surface – with the exception of 15 minutes at a time at 08:00 PM and 09:00 PM, when seasonal colored lighting designs are used instead.

The illuminated plaster surfaces of the castle appear as gleaming white jewels of light. In the dark of night, the castle exudes an overwhelming elegance and power that gives it an entirely different character than in the daytime.

Night-lit Himeji castle, so picturesque you’ll wonder if you’ve wandered into the world of a painting

In the night, a serene calm hangs over the castle grounds, and the sound of the wind through the trees in the surrounding parkland whispers of a primordial mystery and tranquility without the sounds of other visitors. This is the perfect setting to experience the castle as it might have felt during the times of the samurai.

Plumb the Secrets of Himeji Castle with an Expert

A private car comes to pick you up at Himeji City Tourist Information Center near Himeji Station. During the ride to the castle, observe the effects of Himeji City’s strict cityscape ordinances, which keep the sightlines of Otemae Street wide open so that the castle remains in full view from the station front. Feel your heart quicken in excitement as you draw nearer to the castle. Your driver will also begin to acquaint you with the basics of its history during the drive, and you can also ask any questions that come to mind.

The pure traditional architecture of the Himeji Castle’s Geihinkan guest quarters

When you arrive on the castle grounds, the tour begins in the Geihinkan guest quarters. This whole building is usually off-limits to the public, reserved for VIP guests. The Geihinkan’s pure traditional architecture is designed to blend right into the castle environs. Enjoy a welcome drink here before being joined by Himeji Castle expert Shigehiro Kudo for a preliminary orientation session.

Kudo is an expert on castle research and construction, working as a researcher and curator at the Himeji Center for Research into Castles and Fortifications. This makes him the single foremost expert on Himeji Castle. Let his detailed explanations captivate you, and learn about the history, architecture, layout, and preservation of the castle to a degree of depth visitors on normal tours never get to.

Stroll the castle grounds with expert guidance, learning about the castle's structure, history, and former life

Enjoy the freedom to ask Kudo any question that comes to mind, and enjoy conversing with him during his detailed and sometimes humorous explanations. Discover behind-the-scenes anecdotes about the castle that make you feel privy to secret knowledge, and sate your every curiosity about the castle as only a private tour allows.

A Special Night Tour into Closed-off Areas

The Hishi Gate guards the entrance to the Ninomaru area of the castle grounds. It is the largest surviving gate in the castle complex, and is itself also listed independently as an important cultural property. Participants in this tour can experience the profound sensation of opening the gate with their own hands, feeling the weight of history and viewing up close a beauty that most only get to see from outside.

Throw open the majestic Hishi Gate to enter Ninomaru square

Himeji Castle was originally built to serve as a fortified base of military operations, and as you make your way toward the castle keep, you can learn all about the protective fortifications and defensive combat mechanisms built into the castle, offering a chance to experience its functional mystique in addition to its visual beauty.

Approaching the castle keep, Kudo shows you into off-limits areas including the courtyard and salt cellar, providing detailed commentary that helps connect you to the history within the castle as it felt to not only the ruling lord, but the samurai retainers and others who dwelled and worked here – offering a fun and vivid multitude of perspectives that bring it all to life.

The night view of Himeji from the castle keep is a special sight available to very few

The uppermost floor of the castle keep is a special area only accessible to the castle lord and his guests. There are very few tall buildings in the vicinity of Himeji Castle, which gives its main keep a panorama on all sides – with sightlines that once extended all the way to the Harima Sea (the western half of the Seto Inland Sea off the coast of Himeji). You can take in this view at night, as so few get to do, and put yourself in the mind of the lords who ruled here as they overlooked their fiefs.

White Plaster Walls that Gleam Against the Night Sky

The last stop of the tour is the Bizenmaru area, a large square in front of the main castle keep, where the former residence of the castle lord once stood. Standing here provides the perfect view for the grandeur of the castle’s main keep and smaller wings.

On the way back to the guest quarters, you can stop at a viewing spot famous for its view of the “upside-down keep” at night. Stand facing the castle across the Sangoku Moat just inside the Hishi Gate for a glimpse of a mirror world in the water, where the inverted white castle keep looms, gleaming spectrally.

Access to the perfect spot for a shot of the “upside-down castle keep”

Back in the guesthouse, enjoy your choice of light refreshments. Opt for tempura from Kawatobi, a Himeji restaurant dating back to 1915, or an assorted sweets plate of Himeji-made Japanese and Western confections (please choose your selection at the time of reservation).

Kawatobi’s tempura is made with the restaurant’s heritage secret recipe dashi stock, and prepared with careful attention to every ingredient right down to the cooking oil, rice, and seaweed. Alternatively, the sweets plate is a combination of both Western-style and Japanese confections that convey a sense of Himeji history and seasonality. Relax a moment and savor these treats while looking back on the experience. When you are finished eating, you can return to JR Himeji Station by a private car.

Colorful tenmusu (tempura served on nuggets of rice wrapped in seaweed) and Himeji-made sweets (contents vary)

History Lives on in Full Splendor at Himeji Castle

This private night tour is a rare chance to experience Himeji Castle after its gates have closed to the public, and to do it with expert guidance. With the leading expert on the castle all to yourself, you can focus discussion on areas of interest in ways that would simply be impossible on a regular tour. Let your imagination and curiosity guide you as you tread the halls of this historic castle at night, and see through the eyes of the samurai lords who once inhabited it.

Reflecting on History with Himeji Castle towering in the night sky

Himeji Castle has been a historic fixture of the physical and social landscape of Himeji for centuries since its construction. It is sure to captivate not only Japanese history buffs, but aficionados of architecture and culture as well. Embark on a night tour to plumb the mysteries of Himeji Castle and bask in its beauty.