• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Smith's School of English

To provide English speakers the opportunity to own their own business teaching English in Japan.

  • Franchise Entry
    • Buy a Developed Franchise
    • Start Your Own
  • The Franchise
    • Work Visa & Taxes
    • Franchise Training
    • Franchise Support
      • What Franchisees get
      • SSE Products
      • FAQ’s
  • Testimonials
  • About
    • Coaching Confidence
    • Contact
  • Blog
    • English School Articles
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Blog, English School Articles · June 3, 2009

姫路城 Himeji Castle

You are here: Home / Blog / 姫路城 Himeji Castle


This Sunday I traveled to Himeiji in Hyogo prefecture with two students to tour the Himeji Castle.  It was quite spectacular and the weather was very cooperative.  We also checked out the Nishi-Oyashiki-Ato Garden nearby. It was a fine day and the visitors were limited so we were able to quickly see the castle and the garden. The castle is one of the best examples of a feudal castle in Japan.  With its white walls it is also called SHIRASAGI JO (White Heron Castle).

The history of Himeji Castle (Himeji Jo) is interesting.  In 1333 Nomura Akamastu, the ruler of Harima district, built a fort, and in 1346 his son, Sadanori built premises in the same location. But some scholars say the original castle was built in the middle of the 16th century.  when Shigetaka Kuroda and his son, Mototaka Kuroda ruled the district. However, after the Sekigahara civil war, Terumasa Ikeda, son-in-law of the Shogun, Ieyasu Tokugawa moved into the castle and started digging three moats around the building and completed the whole castle complex in 1609.  A few things were added and the current structure as it is today was completed in 1618.

We also viewed the Himeji Koko-En garden that is just west of the castle.  It was constructed in 1992 to commemorate the 100th anniversity of the founding of the Himeji municipality. It consists of 9 gardens and makes use of the former site of the Nishi-Oyashiki (Lord’s West Residence)  and other samurai houses once located there. The name Koko-en comes from the name Koko-do which was the 6th provencial school founded in Himeji in 1692 by the last lord of Himeji, Lord Sakai.  There is an elaborate tea house, several ponds and streams that flow through the gardens.

I think it is a “must see” for anyone who visits Himeji.

Al Bartle (SSE Okamoto)

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • X

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Filed Under: Blog, English School Articles Tagged With: スミス英会話, 姫路城, 楽しい英会話

Mark Smith

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Adrian says

    June 3, 2009 at 6:10 pm

    Himeiji castle is definitely one castle that people should visit on their journeys around Japan. Personally I like Hikone castle because it’s small but the area that surrounds it is lovely. Cherry blossom season is particularly lovely.

    Adrian

    Reply
  2. Derek says

    June 4, 2009 at 3:46 am

    A former student took me to see Himeji Castle years ago. It was very nice.

    Derek
    SSE Tsukaguchi

    Reply

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

Primary Sidebar

Search

From the Blog

  • Blog
  • English School Articles
  • Smith's Sustainabilty
  • Sustainability Development Goals
  • Testimonials
スミス英会話メインページ

5 days ago

スミス英会話メインページ
今週のワンポイントレッスンはコチラです★What was the toughest thing about today?今日一番大変だったことは何ですか?smithweb.co.jp/2025/07/one-point-lesson-7a19/#スミス英会話 #月謝制英会話 #ワンポイントレッスン ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

スミス英会話メインページ

2 weeks ago

スミス英会話メインページ
今週のワンポイントレッスンはコチラです★Is there anything that you would like to learn to do?何か習いたいことはありますか?smithweb.co.jp/2025/06/one-point-lesson-7a18/#スミス英会話 #月謝制英会話 #ワンポイントレッスン ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Blog Posts
  • Discussing Milestones
  • A Common Listening Problem English Learners Have
  • Protected: The Japan Iwaskows
  • Christmas holidays in Germany (part 2)
  • German Christmas (part 1)
  • Autumn in Japan vs Autumn in Canada
  • Unique Japan- Smith’s School of English, Sagamihara
  • Edward’s Language Journey
  • Osaka Higashi Line – Convenient Fuse
  • Small Talk in Katsura
Smith’s School of English Franchises
#101,8-21-5, Hanafuku-building, Fukushima-Ku,OsakaTel: 0120-222-248 (Japan)
Tel: 81-6-6455-8050 (Other)
Fax: 06-6455-8052
E-mail: info@sse-franchise.com

Copyright © 2025 · Smith's School of English, all rights reserved. · Privacy · Log in

%d