Himeji Castle

Castle Hopping: Himeji Castle (October 2026)

My first visit to Himeji Castle. I lost myself in the timber framework of the original keep, then thought of "a bird in a cage" beside the heavy doors of the Hyakken Roka corridor. Five hours of walking still wasn't enough.

Castle Hopping: Himeji Castle Route Map (October 2026)

This route map traces the path I walked around Himeji Castle in photos. From Himeji Station through the Ote-mon Gate, into the keep, past stone walls with their legends, along the Hyakken Roka corridor, through the Ru-no-Mon Gate down to the Sangoku Moat, finishing next door at Kokoen Garden. Here it is, in the order I walked it.

Castle Walk Route