The Himeji Castle is one of the must visit sites when staying in Osaka. It’s best to get the JR West Rail pass for the Kansai area (available to visitors at least) as the JR train from Osaka will cost ¥1450 one way, so considering the pass is ¥2000 you already save a significant amount. Although Himeji Castle doesn’t cover the entire town like it used to when it was first built, it still magnificently sits atop its hill with enough of it preserved to give you an idea about what it might look like.

Volunteers run an English tour that starts at 10am so it’s worthwhile getting there early. Keeping in mind that it was a volunteer-run tour, it runs for about an hour and gives you the fantastic insight into all the little bits of the castle that are easy to miss simply walking around. As you can tell from the picture below, Himeji Castle is also popular amongst the Japanese as a classic place for a wedding photo.

Set aside at least a few hours to walk around the grounds as it is big enough to interest most people. There’s plenty of space to enjoy the grounds as well on a nice day and a great view from the top of the castle.