A prominent castle designated as a World Cultural Heritage. The castle resembles the shape of a heron with spread wings.

The Himeji Castle is located in Himeji City in the western Hyogo. It was constructed in the mid-14th century, and after a three-layer castle tower was built by the order of the man of power Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the 16th century, Ikeda Terumasa, a feudal lord of the castle rebuilt it further in the 17th century. Its figure was likened as a white heron spreading its wings, and thus called the Hakuro-jo, or White Heron Castle. It was designated as a national treasure in 1931, and as the World Cultural Heritage in 1993.

The Tenshukaku (castle tower) is the main structure and has 5 stories in appearance but 6 stories inside and a first basement. All structures are covered with white plaster unique to Japan. The roofs are covered with kawara tiles and white plaster is applied to the joints. The sturdy, magnificent structure and elegant appearance, as well as complex and tactical defense devices make the Himeji Castle the most prominent castle in Japan.

The Castle hosts the Himeji Castle Cherry Blossom Viewing Fair, cherry blossom viewing drum music performance and Princess Sen-hime Peony Festival in spring, Himeji Port Festival in summer, Moon Viewing Fair and Himeji All Japan Ceramics Market in autumn. Visitors never cease throughout the year. In the surrounding areas, there are a Japanese garden Koko-en, an affinity with the Castle, Otokoyama Sen-hime Tenmangu Shrine and Hyogo Historical Museum.

Renovation of Himeji Castle Main Keep <2009-2014>
This is a full-scale renovation work focused on replastering damaged plaster walls and replacing the roofing tiles on the main keep or dai-tenshu. The renovation period will be a full five years after the start of the scaffolding installation planned in 2009. The exterior view of the castle can be enjoyed until March 2010. The roofed scaffold structure and other scaffolding will be removed in 2014.
During this renovation period, visitors can get a close look at the repair process from inside the roofed scaffold structure or suyane that covers the main keep. In addition, the visitors' elevator helps elderly people and wheelchair users enjoy the scenery as if they were in the main keep..

A basaltic rock mass that measures 70 meters across by 35 meters high, with a historic hot spring resort.

Kinosaki is situated in northern Hyogo and has the Kinosaki-onsen Hot Spring Resort spreading along the Otani-gawa River branching off from the Maruyama-gawa River. Legend has it that the place was found in the 8th century by Dochi-shonin, a Buddhist saint. It is lined with community bathhouses, such as Ko-no-yu (hot spring of stork) that the legend says was used by storks to heal wounds, Sato-no-yu, Ichi-no-yu and Jizo-yu. The name Kinosaki became known all over the country when it appeared in a novel "Kinosaki Nite" (At Kinosaki) by Naoya Shiga, a famous novelist in the early 20th century.

The Kinosaki Hot Spring Resort was once a spa called Tajima-no-yu. Since more hot springs were found in 1950's, the area has grown to be a new sightseeing and health spot in and around the Hanshin (Osaka-Kobe) district. At Onsen-ji Station of the Kinosaki-onsen Ropeway is the Onsen-ji Temple believed to have been erected by Dochi-shonin, in which the standing images of Eleven-Faced Kan'non (Goddess of Mercy) and Eleven-Faced Thousand-Handed Kan'non are enshrined.

In the neighborhood of the Onsen-ji Temple, a basaltic mass formed of hardened lava lies 70 meters across and 35 meters high, in which a basaltic cave opens its mouth and draws many viewers at all time together with Byakko-do (white tiger cave) and Seiryu-do (blue dragon cave) nearby.