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The above photo shows Himeji Castle. It is located in Himeji, in the Hyogo Prefecture.
It is one of the oldest surviving structures from medieval Japan, and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Japanese National Cultural Treasure. Along with Matsumoto Castle and Kumamoto Castle it constitutes Japan’s “three famous castles”. Himeji Castle is the most visited castle in Japan.
Himeji Castle is occasionally known as Hakurojo or Shirasagijo (White Heron) Castle because of its brilliant white exterior.
Unlike the Temple of the Golden Pavilion, Himeji Castle was bombed during World War II. Fortunately, although much of the surrounding area was burned to the ground, the castle itself survived almost completely unscathed.
Edo (Tokyo) castle, the current castle of the Emperor of Japan, does not have a keep. For that reason, Himeji Castle is frequently used as an alternative location for television and film. Himeji Castle was used in the 1967 James Bond film “You Only Live Twice” (as Tiger Tanaka’s secret ninja training school and weapons development centre), in the 1980 TV mini-series “Shogun” (staring Richard Chamberlain), and more recently in the 2003 Tom Cruise film “The Last Samurai”.
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