Visit Japan's "White Heron" Castle While It's White

Japan is a land of profound history and ancient castles are everywhere to substantiate it; some remain well preserved and other stands in ruins. Down south in Hyogo towers glittering white a legendary castle known as White Heron Castle - so named after a white heron about to take off atop the hill.

Registered a world's Cultural Heritage in 1993, the castle is now drawing thousands of visitors, 1.5 million to be exact, from all parts of the country and abroad. The castle underwent a major restoration work that had lasted five and half years and reopened in March this year.

Its brilliantly white exterior is one of the charms of this castle. In fact, it's so white that some cynic tourists claim it much too white. The city of Himeji was quick to respond. A PR brochure was issued to explain that the white plaster would fade in time with dust and mold. The city authorities put up an extensive PR campaign through the media that White Heron Castle can stay white only for a year or two.

The campaign paid off and Hirokazu Harui, head of the castle's maintenance office, expects over two million visitors by the end of November to early December this year.

Foreign tourists account for this trend. Based on the number of multi-language handouts distributed inside the castle compound, 10.2% were foreign tourists as compared with 3.4% in the same period the year before.

Three years ago, a tourist website picked Himeji Castle as one (2nd place) of the "castles to visit before you die" to help enhance the image of Himeji Castle, comments the Himeji Tourist Convention Bureau, a body of tourist agents in Himeji.

Himeji Castle or White Heron Castle is in every standard the most typical of traditional Japanese castles worth visiting way before you die.