Himeji Castle Restoration Project

Seeing Japan's Greatest Castle Rebuilt

Benjamin Stock Feb 11, 2013 - 1 min read

Himeji Castle wrapped in a temporary shell

Himeji Castle up the main road from Himeji Station

Himeji Castle will be under construction through 2014

The temporary structure towers over this castle wall

A rare chance to see the exterior of Himeji Castle's roof

A view of the castle grounds through the glass

Many architectural elements are still intact

A roof tile with the family crest of a previous Himeji Castle resident

This armor was on display in a room opened especially during the restoration

These locals paid to have the chance to walk the castle grounds as ninja

Himeji Castle is in the midst of a five-year restoration project that began in 2009. The repairs are part of a regular maintenance schedule that will see the castle renewed every fifty years. While parts of the castle are obscured by temporary structures, the renovation offers a special opportunity to see how a Japanese castle is repaired. During the process, Himeji City has allowed the public to see artifacts they are normally not allowed to and has even created opportunities for tourists to walk the castle grounds in ninja, samurai and traditional dress.

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Find out more about Himeji Castle.

Benjamin Stock @benjamin.stock

I enjoyed living in Japan for nearly seven years. After studying Journalism and Japanese studies in Chicago, I first went to Japan in 2005 and taught English for two years. I returned to the States, but I soon found myself back again. My second time in Japan was only for one year, which I spent w...