Himeji

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title: "Himeji" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["himeji,-hyōgo", "cities-in-hyōgo-prefecture", "port-settlements-in-japan", "populated-coastal-places-in-japan"] topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Himeji" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

Field	Value
name	Himeji
native_name	姫路市
native_name_lang	ja
settlement_type	Core city
image_skyline	Himeji montage2.jpg
image_caption	Himeji Castle
Nada Fighting Festival, Engyō-ji
View from the castle, Ieshima, Mt. Seppiko
image_flag	Flag of Himeji, Hyogo.svg
image_seal	Symbol of Himeji, Hyogo.svg
seal_type	Emblem
image_map	Himeji in Hyogo Prefecture Ja.svg
map_caption	Location of Himeji in Hyōgo Prefecture
pushpin_map	Japan
pushpin_map_caption	Location in Japan
coordinates
coordinates_footnotes	tags --
subdivision_type	Country
subdivision_name	Japan
subdivision_type1	Region
subdivision_name1	Kansai
subdivision_type2	Prefecture
subdivision_name2	Hyōgo
subdivision_type3	District
extinct_title	Now part of
seat_type
government_footnotes	tags --
leader_title	Mayor
leader_name	Hideyasu Kiyomoto (from April 2019)
leader_title1	Vice Mayor
total_type
unit_pref	Metric
area_magnitude
area_footnotes	tags --
area_total_km2	534.35
elevation_footnotes	tags --
population_footnotes	tags --
population_total	525,682
population_as_of	June 1, 2022
population_density_km2	auto
timezone1	JST
utc_offset1	+09:00
area_code_type
blank_name_sec1	City hall address
blank_info_sec1	4-1 Yasuda, Himeji-shi, Hyōgo-ken 670-8501
blank_name_sec2	Climate
blank_info_sec2	Cfa
website
module	{{Infobox place symbols
tree	Evergreen Oak
flower	Pecteilis radiata
bird	White Heron
::

| name = Himeji | official_name = | native_name = 姫路市 | native_name_lang = ja | settlement_type = Core city | other_name = | image_skyline = Himeji montage2.jpg | imagesize = | image_caption = Himeji Castle Nada Fighting Festival, Engyō-ji View from the castle, Ieshima, Mt. Seppiko | image_flag = Flag of Himeji, Hyogo.svg | image_seal = Symbol of Himeji, Hyogo.svg | seal_type = Emblem | image_map = Himeji in Hyogo Prefecture Ja.svg | map_alt = | map_caption = Location of Himeji in Hyōgo Prefecture | pushpin_map = Japan | pushpin_relief = | pushpin_map_caption = Location in Japan | coordinates = | coordinates_footnotes = tags -- | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Japan | subdivision_type1 = Region | subdivision_name1 = Kansai | subdivision_type2 = Prefecture | subdivision_name2 = Hyōgo | subdivision_type3 = District | subdivision_name3 = | established_title1 = | established_date1 = | established_title2 = | established_date2 = | extinct_title = Now part of | extinct_date = | founder = | named_for = | seat_type = | seat = | government_footnotes = tags -- | leader_party = | leader_title = Mayor | leader_name = Hideyasu Kiyomoto (from April 2019) | leader_title1 = Vice Mayor | leader_name1 = | total_type = | unit_pref = Metric | area_magnitude = | area_footnotes = tags -- | area_total_km2 = 534.35 | area_land_km2 = | area_water_km2 = | area_water_percent = | area_note = | elevation_footnotes = tags -- | elevation_m = | population_footnotes = tags -- | population_total = 525,682 | population_as_of = June 1, 2022 | population_density_km2 = auto | population_est = | pop_est_as_of = | timezone1 = JST | utc_offset1 = +09:00 | postal_code_type = | postal_code = | area_code_type = | area_code = | blank_name_sec1 = City hall address | blank_info_sec1 = 4-1 Yasuda, Himeji-shi, Hyōgo-ken 670-8501 | blank_name_sec2 = Climate | blank_info_sec2 = Cfa | website = | footnotes = | module = {{Infobox place symbols| embedded=yes | tree = Evergreen Oak | flower = Pecteilis radiata | bird = White Heron | flowering_tree = | butterfly = | fish = | other_symbols = thumb|right|260px|Himeji City Hall Himeji is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 525,682 in 227,099 households and a population density of 980 persons per km2. The total area of the city is 534.35 sqkm.

Geography

Himeji is located in the central western part of the Harima Plain in the western part of Hyogo Prefecture, and is the central city of the Harima region of the prefecture. The Ichikawa River is located in the central eastern part of the city, and the Senba River and Noda River are located in the center. The Ieshima Islands in the Seto Inland Sea are within the city limits and are located off the coast of Harima Bay. The city is surrounded by the mountains and the sea.

Neighbouring municipalities

Hyōgo Prefecture

Climate

Himeji has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with hot summers and cool winters. Summers are significantly wetter than winters. The average annual temperature in Himeji is 15.6 C. The average annual rainfall is 1254.7 mm with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 27.8 C, and lowest in January, at around 4.4 C. The highest temperature ever recorded in Himeji was 38.0 C on 31 August 2020; the coldest temperature ever recorded was -10.0 C on 24 January 1963.

|width= auto |collapsed = Y |single line = Y |metric first = Y |location = Himeji (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1948−present) |Jan record high C = 17.5 |Feb record high C = 21.6 |Mar record high C = 23.3 |Apr record high C = 28.0 |May record high C = 31.8 |Jun record high C = 34.9 |Jul record high C = 37.3 |Aug record high C = 38.0 |Sep record high C = 36.6 |Oct record high C = 32.4 |Nov record high C = 26.4 |Dec record high C = 21.5 |Jan record low C = -10.0 |Feb record low C = -7.8 |Mar record low C = -7.6 |Apr record low C = -2.0 |May record low C = 1.5 |Jun record low C = 7.9 |Jul record low C = 13.0 |Aug record low C = 14.3 |Sep record low C = 8.9 |Oct record low C = 1.7 |Nov record low C = -2.0 |Dec record low C = -7.4 |Jan high C = 9.6 |Feb high C = 10.4 |Mar high C = 13.8 |Apr high C = 19.1 |May high C = 23.7 |Jun high C = 26.8 |Jul high C = 30.5 |Aug high C = 32.5 |Sep high C = 28.6 |Oct high C = 23.1 |Nov high C = 17.3 |Dec high C = 11.9 |Jan mean C = 4.4 |Feb mean C = 5.0 |Mar mean C = 8.3 |Apr mean C = 13.6 |May mean C = 18.5 |Jun mean C = 22.4 |Jul mean C = 26.4 |Aug mean C = 27.8 |Sep mean C = 23.8 |Oct mean C = 17.9 |Nov mean C = 11.9 |Dec mean C = 6.6 |Jan low C = 0.2 |Feb low C = 0.5 |Mar low C = 3.2 |Apr low C = 8.2 |May low C = 13.5 |Jun low C = 18.5 |Jul low C = 23.0 |Aug low C = 24.0 |Sep low C = 19.8 |Oct low C = 13.4 |Nov low C = 7.3 |Dec low C = 2.4 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 36.9 |Feb precipitation mm = 48.6 |Mar precipitation mm = 92.0 |Apr precipitation mm = 104.7 |May precipitation mm = 127.3 |Jun precipitation mm = 160.4 |Jul precipitation mm = 184.3 |Aug precipitation mm = 105.4 |Sep precipitation mm = 177.8 |Oct precipitation mm = 108.7 |Nov precipitation mm = 61.2 |Dec precipitation mm = 47.5 |year precipitation mm = 1254.7 |unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm |Jan precipitation days = 4.7 |Feb precipitation days = 6.0 |Mar precipitation days = 8.7 |Apr precipitation days = 8.8 |May precipitation days = 9.0 |Jun precipitation days = 10.8 |Jul precipitation days = 10.3 |Aug precipitation days = 7.0 |Sep precipitation days = 9.3 |Oct precipitation days = 7.5 |Nov precipitation days = 5.5 |Dec precipitation days = 5.3 |Jan snow cm = 1 |Feb snow cm = 4 |Mar snow cm = 0 |Apr snow cm = 0 |May snow cm = 0 |Jun snow cm = 0 |Jul snow cm = 0 |Aug snow cm = 0 |Sep snow cm = 0 |Oct snow cm = 0 |Nov snow cm = 0 |Dec snow cm = 1 |year snow cm = 6 |unit snow days = 1 cm |Jan snow days = 0.3 |Feb snow days = 0.8 |Mar snow days = 0 |Apr snow days = 0 |May snow days = 0 |Jun snow days = 0 |Jul snow days = 0 |Aug snow days = 0 |Sep snow days = 0 |Oct snow days = 0 |Nov snow days = 0 |Dec snow days = 0.4 |humidity colour= green |Jan humidity = 70 |Feb humidity = 69 |Mar humidity = 67 |Apr humidity = 66 |May humidity = 70 |Jun humidity = 75 |Jul humidity = 78 |Aug humidity = 73 |Sep humidity = 74 |Oct humidity = 73 |Nov humidity = 73 |Dec humidity = 72 |Jan sun = 149.1 |Feb sun = 142.5 |Mar sun = 173.7 |Apr sun = 191.8 |May sun = 203.1 |Jun sun = 156.0 |Jul sun = 172.1 |Aug sun = 209.9 |Sep sun = 158.8 |Oct sun = 167.4 |Nov sun = 154.8 |Dec sun = 155.1 |year sun = 2034.4 |source 1 = Japan Meteorological Agency{{cite web | url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/rank_s.php?prec_no=63&block_no=47769&year=&month=&day=&view=h0 |script-title=ja:観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値） | publisher = JMA | access-date = April 11, 2022}}{{cite web | url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/nml_sfc_ym.php?prec_no=63&block_no=47769&year=&month=&day=&view=h0 |script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値） | publisher = JMA | access-date = April 11, 2022}}}}

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Himeji in 2020 is 530,495 people. Himeji has been conducting censuses since 1920. | 1920 | 209208 | 1925 | 221240 | 1930 | 232805 | 1935 | 244556 | 1940 | 270719 | 1945 | 308321 | 1950 | 325329 | 1955 | 348365 | 1960 | 372824 | 1965 | 412507 | 1970 | 447666 | 1975 | 479360 | 1980 | 494825 | 1985 | 506101 | 1990 | 509129 | 1995 | 527854 | 2000 | 534969 | 2005 | 536232 | 2010 | 536338 | 2015 | 535664 | 2020 | 530495 |align = none | footnote = Himeji population statistics

History

Himeji has been the center of Harima Province since the Nara period, and was the location of the provincial capital and Harima Kokubun-ji. After the Battle of Sekigahara, Ikeda Terumasa received a fief at Harima Province and established the Himeji Domain. He expanded Himeji Castle and its castle town. Due to its location dominating the San'yōdō highway connecting the Kinai region with western Japan, Himeji was a major stronghold of the Tokugawa shogunate through the Bakumatsu period. Following the Meiji restoration, Himeji was the capital of "Himeji Prefecture" (later Shikama Prefecture) from 1871, which was merged into Hyōgo Prefecture in 1876. The city of Himeji was established on April 1, 1889, with the creation of the modern municipalities system. After the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake, the Japanese government reportedly considered moving the nation's capital from Tokyo to Himeji. On April 1, 1996, Himeji attained Core city status, with increased local autonomy.

On March 27, 2006, the town of Yasutomi (from Shisō District), the town of Kōdera (from Kanzaki District), and the towns of Ieshima and Yumesaki (both from Shikama District) were merged into Himeji.

Air raids

During World War II, Himeji was a target for the United States' XXI Bomber Command as it was an important rail terminal and contained two large military zones. The first air raid occurred on June 22, 1945 at 0950, in which 60 B-29 Superfortress bombers centered on an area containing a Kawanishi Aircraft Company factory. The bombing killed 341 people and rendered 10,220 homeless. The second attack occurred on July 3, 1945, at 16:23, 107 aircraft dropped 767 tons of incendiary bombs on Himeji, destroying 63.3% of the built up areas of the city. However, the famous Himeji Castle, although blackened by smoke from the burning city, remained unscathed, even with one firebomb being dropped on it. This attack killed 173 people, severely wounded 160, and resulted in the destruction of 10,300 buildings, rendering 45,182 people homeless.

Government

Himeji has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 46 members. Himeji contributes eight members to the Hyogo Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is divided between the Hyōgo 11th and Hyōgo 12th districts of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Mayors of Himeji City (1889–present)

::data[format=table]

#	Name '	Time of office
Kiyoshi Aridome
(有留清)
July 1889	August 1898	9 years and 1 month
Shigeho Obata
(小畑茂穂)
November 1898	July 1900	1 year and 8 months '
Chikaharu Ohno
(大野親温)
November 1900	February 1901	3 months
Taketomi Otsuka
(大塚武臣)
June 1901	April 1909	7 years and 10 months
Otokichi Hori
(堀音吉)
June 1909	June 1915	6 years
Masayuki Inoue
(井上正進)
November 1915	November 1919	4 years
Yoshihara Sugiyama
(杉山義治)
April 1920	April 1924	4 years
Nagahiko Shigeoka
(滋岡長彦)
September 1924	February 1930	6 years
Fukuzo Sato
(佐藤復三)
August 1930	August 1934	4 years
Toshinobu Tadera
(田寺俊信)
September 1934	September 1938	4 years
::

::data[format=table]

#	Name	Time of office
Hisashi Kurashige
(蔵重久)
May 1939	June 1939	1 month
Kankichi Tsuboi
(坪井勧吉)
September 1939	September 1943	4 years
Soubei Hara
(原惣兵衛)
October 1943	April 1946	2 years and 6 months
Kokichi Miyagaki
(宮垣幸吉)
April 1946	June 1946	2 months
Motohide Iwami
(石見元秀)
July 1946	April 1967	20 years and 9 months
Toyonobu Yoshida
(吉田豊信)
April 1967	April 1983	16 years
Matsuji Totani
(戸谷松司)
April 1983	April 1995	12 years
Kazuhiro Horikawa
(堀川和洋)
April 1995	April 2003	8 years
Toshikatsu Iwami
(石見利勝)
April 2003	April 2019	16 years
Hideyasu Kiyomoto
(清元秀泰)
April 2019	present	Current
::

Economy and Tourism

Himeji is located within the Hanshin Industrial Area and Harima Seaside Industrial Areas. The coastal region is heavily industrialized, with steel mills, chemical plants, semiconductor and automobile electronics predominating. In addition, Kansai Electric Power's Himeji No. 1 Power Station and Himeji No. 2 Power Station are located in the area. The northern two-thirds of the city is mainly agricultural and commercial fishing off the southern seacoast also plays a role in the economy. Traditional crafts include the production of butsudan (Buddhist altars), leather crafts, glue, matchmaking and candles.

Himeji lies near the famous “Golden Route” tourist itinerary, which stretches from Tokyo west to Osaka. Himeji is about 1.5 hours west of Osaka by train. Himeji faces the scenic Seto Inland Sea and boasts one of Japan’s best-preserved feudal-era castles. In the Himeji area, tourists can experience a medium-sized Japanese city away from the crowds of Osaka and other large cities.

Education

Colleges and universities

Himeji Dokkyo University
Himeji Hinomoto College
Himeji University
Kenmei Women's Junior College (1951–2008)
University of Hyogo - Himeji Institute of Technology

Primary and secondary schools

Himeji has 66 public elementary schools, 32 public middle schools and three public high schools operated by the city government and 13 public high schools operated by the Hyōgo Prefectural Department of Education. There are also four private combined middle/high schools. There are also four special education school for the handicapped, one operated by the city and three by the prefecture.

A North Korean school, Seiban North Korean Elementary and Middle School, can also be found in the city.

Transportation

Railway

thumb|right|260px|San'yō Shinkansen running through the city of Himeji ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a0/Shinkansen_jrw.svg" caption="JR West]] – [[San'yō Shinkansen"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/JR_logo_(west).svg" caption="JR West]] – [[San'yō Main Line]] ([[JR Kobe Line]])"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/JR_logo_(west).svg" caption="JR West]] – [[Bantan Line"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/JR_logo_(west).svg" caption="JR West]] – [[Kishin Line"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/Sanyo_electric_railway_logo-5.svg" caption="Main Line"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/Sanyo_electric_railway_logo-5.svg" caption="Aboshi Line"] ::

Highways

[[File:JP Expressway E2.svg|25px|link=|alt=]] San'yō Expressway
[[File:JP Expressway E2A.svg|25px|link=|alt=]] Chūgoku Expressway
[[File:JP Expressway E95.svg|25px|link=|alt=]] Bantan Renraku Road

Ferries

Bozeki Kisen: Himeji Kazuma Port - Tanga Island - Boze Island
Kosoku Ieshima: Himeji Kazuma Port - Iejima
Shodoshima Ferry: Himeji Kazuma Port-Fukuda Port (Shōdoshima)
Takafuku Liner: Himeji Kazuma Port - Iejima

Air

The city does not have it own airport. The nearest airports are:

Kobe Airport providing domestic and some international travel. It is located 66 km to the east.
Kansai International Airport provides a large number of international and domestic destinations. It is located 127 km to the south east.

International relations

Himeji is twinned or has sister city relationships with six international cities and two Japanese cities, as well as a sister castle located in France. Himeji has a particularly strong relationship with Phoenix, Arizona, as teachers from America are able to teach English abroad for 1–2 years. Additionally, the Youth Ambassador Exchange Program allows for both Japanese and American high school students to experience the cultures and languages of their respective countries for 3 weeks.

Sister cities

International

AUS Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
ROK Changwon, South Gyeongsang, South Korea
BEL Charleroi, Belgium
BRA Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
US Phoenix, Arizona, United States
PRC Taiyuan, Shanxi, China

Japan

Nagano Prefecture Matsumoto, in Nagano Prefecture
Tottori Prefecture Tottori, capital city in Tottori Prefecture

Sister castles

FRA Château de Chantilly in Chantilly, France
Wales Conwy Castle (Castell Conwy) in North Wales, since October 2019

Local attractions

Engyō-ji temple
Harima Kokubun-ji ruins, National Historic Site
Himeji Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For over 400 years, Himeji Castle has remained intact, even throughout the extensive bombing of Himeji in World War II and natural disasters such as the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake and various typhoons.
Himeji Central Park (a safari park)
Himeji City Tegarayama Botanical Garden
Koko-en Garden
Mount Seppiko
Okishio Castle - A castle ruin, Home castle of the Akamatsu clan.

File:Engyoji05s4592.jpg|Engyō-ji File:Himeji Koukoen32n4592.jpg|Koko-en Garden File:Tegarayama Central Park Himeji Hyogo pref Japan02bs5.jpg|Tegarayama Central Park

Notable people from Himeji

Kuroda Kanbei (1546–1604), famed strategist under Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Mikinosuke Kawaishi (1899–1969), judoka
Aya Matsuura (1986-), entertainer
Psycho le Cému, visual kei rock band
Kenzō Takada (1939–2020), fashion designer
Masahisa Takenaka (1933–1985), the 4th kumicho of Yamaguchi-gumi, Japan's largest yakuza syndicate
Tetsuro Watsuji (1889–1960), philosopher and historian

References

NHK Publishing. (24 May 2016)
"Himeji city official statistics".
[https://www.citypopulation.de/en/japan/hyogo/ Himeji population statistics]
[https://www.scribd.com/doc/61702152/21st-Bomber-Command-Tactical-Mission-Report-247-250-Ocr 21st Bomber Command Tactical Mission Report 247, 250, Ocr]
"David Millet".
link. [[Chongryon]]
[http://www.city.himeji.lg.jp/info/profile/sister.html Sister Cities] {{Webarchive. link. (2014-07-12 . City of Himeji. Retrieved August 24, 2008. {{in lang). ja
"Phoenix Sister Cities". Phoenix Sister Cities.
(November 7, 2019). "Conwy and Himeji castles’ twinning starts "beautiful friendship"".
"A hilltop white heron 400 years old". [[The Daily Yomiuri]].
"Himeji Castle starts its renovation in April". Official Tourism Guide for Japan Travel.
"Himeji Castle". Japan Atlas.

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