UNESCO World Heritage Site

Himeji-jo

Japan’s finest surviving feudal castle of white plaster and timber.

Himeji-jo is the finest surviving example of early 17th-century Japanese castle architecture, comprising 83 buildings with highly developed systems of defence and ingenious protection devices dating from the beginning of the Shogun period. It is a masterpiece of construction in wood, combining function with aesthetic appeal, both in its elegant appearance unified by the white plastered earthen walls and in the subtlety of the relationships between the building masses and the multiple roof layers.

Country
Japan
Region
Asia
Category
Cultural
Inscribed
1993
UNESCO reference
661
Area
107 ha

View the official UNESCO listing

Collections featuring Himeji-jo

More UNESCO sites in Japan