Japan’s Top 100 Blossoms: Himeji Castle (Hyōgo)
Guideto Japan
Travel
Himeji Castle is a national treasure and was also the first site Japan to be inscribed on the list of UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage. With 1,800 somei yoshino, yaezakura, and shidarezakura trees, it is also one of Japan’s best places to view cherry blossoms, whose radiant pink petals offer a breathtaking contrast to the castle’s white walls.
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Himeji is the biggest of the five surviving premodern castles that have been designated a national treasure, and it hosts a number of events around the cherry blossom season, including an enchanting yozakura festival at the Nishinomaru (west bailey) garden—usually closed to the public—against the backdrop of the majestic castle.
Himeji Castle (Hyōgo)
- Varieties: Somei yoshino, yaezakura, shidarezakura
- No. of trees: 1,800
- When: Late March to early April
- Hours: Open 24 hrs. (castle open 9:00–16:00)
- Admission: Castle: ¥1,000
- Address: 68 Honmachi, Himeji-shi, Hyōgo
- Website: Himeji Castle
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(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo © Himeji City.)
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