If you only see one castle in Kansai, put this at the top of your list! Reportedly the most visited castle in Japan, Himeji Castle (Himeji-jo), nicknamed the “White Heron” has been standing proudly on top of a hill called Himeyama for 400 years.
http://japantourist.jp/view/himeji-castle
Photo: Ben Humphreys
Unfortunately, you can’t see Himeji-jo at the moment, as I discovered last week when I went to Himeji for work. It is under construction and is covered by a huge tent until 2014. Very disappointing. However I am told that the construction itself is interesting to visit as you can see aspects of the castle architecture that are not usually visible.
Hi Dara thanks for your comments. For those who want to see other castles in Kansai, I would recommend both Hikone and Osaka castles in that order. Best wishes
Thanks for the recommendation. I visited the grounds of Osaka Castle (Osaka Castle Park) last Sunday morning. It’s great!