"White Heron Castle" is the poetic name of Himeji-jo. Its white walls and roofs are said to be reminiscent of a bird starting to fly. Well, I couldn't really spot that, either from the map of the castle at the entrance gate or from the top floor of the donjon. But that it is a white beauty cannot be denied, at least since 2015, when the most recent restoration was completed and the dark patina was removed.

I visited Himeji-jo in September 2019 on a half-day trip from Kyoto. It takes less than an hour by train (Hikari Shinkasen, included in JR Rail Pass). The route is signposted from Himeji station: just take the north exit, go straight ahead and 15 minutes later you are in front of the outer castle gate. And a little further, then you arrive at the Hishi-no-mon gate, the entrance to the paid area.
From there you can reach the main keep through several gates. At the beginning the path is straight, but then more and more turns and twists - a labyrinth of alley, gates, ramps and towers. Perfect designed to make a conquest difficult.
The magnificent main keep is certainly the highlight. You have to take off your shoes before you can climb the six floors to the top. The interior is quite empty, there is not much to see apart from the small shrine on the top floor. But there are multilingual information boards on each floor and the staff was happy to explain the details of the wooden construction and the function of the (empty) weapon racks. Most of the time I looked out of the windows to see all the details of the roof construction: the gables, the crest tiles with enblems, and most notably the fish-shaped sculptures that are believed to protect from fire. That obviously works well, Himeji-jo has never been destroyed by fire, nor by earthquake or war.
After leaving the main keep you arrive at the first bailey, the Hon-Maru. From there you can see the castle in all its glory. On the way back to the entrance I visited the West Bailey. There is also the entrance to the long connecting corridor which offers great views to the castle (photo).

Himeji-jo is considered the most beautiful example among the surviving Japanese castles. I guess that's right, but I haven't visited any of the others. Certainly, it is the best accessible one. Located on a main railway line, Himeji-jo can easily be included in any itinerary through central Japan.