2. The Historic Districts of Himeji Castle Town
2-3 Senba and Jōsai Areas
20. Senba Hontokuji Temple
Himeji City Designated Cultural Property (Structure)
Location:
1-1 Jinai-machi, Himeji City
Public Access:
Open to the public (interior of building are not open to the public)
Overview:
The history of Senba Hontokuji Temple dates back to the founding of Aga Hontokuji Temple in 1515. Following a relocation to Kameyama and the East-West schism of the Jodo Shinshu sect, the temple was constructed at its current location in 1618. It developed into a central temple for the Higashi Honganji branch in the Harima region and is affectionately known by locals as “Gobo-san.”
Four structures—the Main Hall (built in 1718), the Front Gate, the Bell Tower, and the Grand Entrance—are designated as Himeji City Cultural Properties.
The temple grounds also house the “Temporary Imperial Residence of Emperor Meiji” (Anzaisho), which is a Nationally Registered Cultural Property.
22. Himeji Museum of Literature: Bōkeitei (Former Hamamoto Family Residence)
Nationally Registered Cultural Property (Structure)
Location:
86 Yamanoi-cho, Himeji City
Public Access:
Open to the public
Overview:
Bōkeitei is a renovated section of a villa originally built in the early 20th century by Hachijirō Hamamoto, a prominent figure in Himeji’s modern business community who served as the president of Himeji Commercial Bank.
Situated on high ground overlooking Himeji Castle and the city, the complex includes five structures—such as Japanese-style rooms and a tea ceremony room—that are designated as Nationally Registered Cultural Properties.
The Japanese-style rooms are housed in a single-story wooden building with an open design offering views of the garden. The structure exemplifies shoin-zukuri architecture, featuring a serene atmosphere and exquisite craftsmanship, particularly in details such as the ranma (openwork transoms).
23. Former Fujimori Family Residence
Nationally Registered Cultural Property (Structure)
Location:
3-2 Funabashi-cho, Himeji City
Public Access:
Generally closed to the public; opened approximately once a month
Overview:
The Former Fujimori Family Residence was built in 1940 by Shinji Fujimori, a physician who became one of the first members of the House of Councillors in the post-war era.
The spacious grounds contain a variety of surviving structures, including the main building—a modern Japanese-style structure designed by Ichiro Ebihara, a leading architect of the Showa era—as well as the “Saiho-an” tea room, named by Tantansai of the Urasenke school, and a birthing pavilion formerly used by the Imperial family.
The property is currently owned by Himeji City and managed by the “Association to Preserve the Former Fujimori Family Residence.” While generally closed to the public, it is opened for viewing approximately once a month.
24. University of Hyogo Yurinoki Hall and Auditorium(Former Main Building and Auditorium of Himeji Higher School)
Nationally Registered Cultural Property (Structure)
Location:
1-1-12 Shinzaike-honcho, Himeji City
Public Access:
Not open to the public
Overview:
These are the wooden main building and auditorium of the former Himeji Higher School. Himeji Higher School was the 24th government-established higher school in Japan, and its school buildings were completed in 1926.
The former main building is an example of “Stick Style” architecture—characterized by horizontal wood-plank siding and decorative posts—and stands as a prime example of school architecture commissioned by the Ministry of Education at the time.
The auditorium shares a unified design with the main building. However, the front entrance features a porch with Tuscan-style square columns topped by a decorative gable; combined with corner towers on the left and right, the design creates a striking and impressive façade.
26. Hatsui Family Residence
Designated as a Significant Urban Landscape Building by Himeji City
Location:
1-26 Tatsuno-machi, Himeji City
Public Access:
Not open to the public
Overview:
The Hatsui family operated a merchant business under the trade name “Agaya” during the Edo period. In the modern era, they became known as one of Himeji’s leading wealthy families.
This residence was also the marital home of Shizue Hatsui, a prominent tanka poet in the post-war Japanese literary scene. Poetry gatherings were held here almost every month, drawing more than fifty disciples.
The main building is a merchant-style structure from the late Edo period (built in 1844), connected to a “New Reception Wing” (shin-zashiki) constructed in 1915.
The third floor of the New Reception Wing features a “Moon-Viewing Tea Room,” while deep within the garden stands “Ho-an,” a tea room designed by Ennosai, the 13th Grand Master of the Urasenke school of tea ceremony.
27. Mori Family Residence and Surrounding Area
Designated as a Significant Urban Landscape Building by Himeji City
Location:
10 Zaimoku-machi, Himeji City
Public Access:
Not open to the public
Overview:
The Mori Family Residence is a machiya (traditional townhouse) featuring a wooden structure with a tsushi-nikai (low-ceilinged second floor), a hon-gawara tiled roof, and a gable-front entrance (kirizuma-hirairi). It boasts a wide frontage of six ken (approx. 12 meters). Inside, a tōriniwa (passageway-style earthen floor) runs through the building, flanked by two rows of rooms on the “upper” side. Built in 1886, the house formerly served as the premises for an indigo dyeing business (kōya), though it is currently used as a private residence.
The area surrounding the Mori Family Residence retains numerous machiya built between the 19th and early 20th centuries along narrow streets, offering an atmosphere reminiscent of the old castle town. In recent years, an increasing number of these historic townhouses have been revitalized as restaurants and accommodation facilities.
28. Cultural Heritage Sites around Mt. Keifukuji
Location:
Keifukuji-mae, Himeji City
Public Access:
Open to the public (interior of building are not open to the public)
Overview:
Keifukuji is a Sōtō Zen temple founded in the 14th century. It relocated to its current site in the mid-18th century and subsequently became the family temple of the Sakai clan, lords of the Himeji Domain.
The tombstones of the Sakai family stand in front of the temple’s main gate. Additionally, the graves of many retainers—including Matsudaira Akinori, a lord of the Himeji Domain—remain on Mt. Keifukuji, the hill behind the temple.
At Kenshōji Temple, located southeast of Mt. Keifukuji, stands a memorial monument dedicated to the 322 people who perished during the catastrophic flooding of the Senba River in 1749.
Together, these temple grounds and cemeteries offer a profound glimpse into the lives of the people who inhabited the Himeji castle town and the enduring history of past disasters.
29. Cultural Heritage Sites around Mt. Otokoyama
Location:
Yamanoi-cho, Himeji City
Public Access:
Open to the public (interior of building are not open to the public)
Overview:
Mt. Otokoyama rises alongside Mt. Himeyama, the hill upon which Himeji Castle stands. The surrounding area is home to a rich variety of historical and cultural heritage sites, including shrines, temples, kiln ruins, and stone Buddhist images.
Shrines such as Mizuo Shrine, Otokoyama Hachimangu, and Otokoyama Tenmangu are located on the southern slopes of Mt. Otokoyama.
The grounds of Fudō-in Temple, situated at the eastern foot of the mountain, contain Atago Shrine, the ruins of the Higashiyama-yaki kiln (which served as an official kiln for the Himeji Domain), and stone Buddhist images modeled after the Kannon statues of the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage (a circuit of 33 sacred sites).
A distribution reservoir—part of the first municipal water supply system built in Himeji—also remains at the summit of Mt. Otokoyama.
In addition to its history, Mt. Otokoyama is well-known for offering magnificent views of the Himeji Castle keep, making it a wonderful spot to enjoy both the scenery and the heritage of the area.