The White Heron Castle

White Heron Castle is perfect. It looks as though it was built yesterday. How did this happen?

This place is one of Japan’s best-preserved castles and a UNESCO World Heritage site. It started out way back in 1333 as a small fortress, but over the centuries it grew into the massive structure you see today, completed in 1609. Here’s the cool part: the castle has never been attacked or damaged in battle. That’s probably why it still looks so pristine.

Getting there, though, is no easy stroll. The castle is protected by three moats and a maze of clever defenses. The path leading up to the main entrance is steep and uneven—designed to slow down intruders. It slowed us down too! We were huffing and puffing by the time we reached the top. The crew discouraged shipmates with mobility issues from attempting the climb over irregular cobblestones and small boulders implanted in the roadway to discourage pedestrian progress. Even Glenda decided (wisely) to sit out this trek up the mountain. Inside, we spotted all sorts of defense features: narrow slits for arrows, loopholes for guns, and plenty of places for soldiers to rain destruction on anyone foolish enough to try and break in.

And then there’s the front door: a three-foot-thick sandwich of oak and steel. Good luck getting past that! We also noticed more “murder holes” along the walls—perfect for pouring hot oil or launching arrows at attackers below. Thankfully, today’s visitors just get treated to a history lesson, not a medieval assault.

A couple of unexpected details really stood out to me. First, the castle actually had indoor toilets, which I wasn’t expecting for a 17th-century structure. Soldiers under siege could use long wooden troughs that were flushed with buckets of water. Pretty advanced, right?

Even more impressive is how the castle was built to handle earthquakes. The main tower is cleverly suspended from massive wooden beams supported by two enormous wooden pillars passing through all three floors down into the bedrock. This arrangement allows the building to sway with the moving ground instead of collapsing. The builders knew what they were doing.

And let’s not forget—this place is gorgeous. With its bright white walls perched high on the hill, it looks more like a palace than a military fortress. I kept having to remind myself this was designed for war, not for royalty. The beauty of the place is stunning.

The best part? The castle was never actually used in battle. No sieges, no fires, no destruction—just seven centuries of history, still standing for us to explore today. It really does feel like stepping into a time machine. If you’re anywhere near Himeji, put this one at the top of your list. You won’t regret it.Leer más