# Himeji

Himeji (姫路市, Himeji-shi) is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. As of 1 June 2022, the city had an estimated population of 525,682 in 227,099 households and a population density of 980 persons per km$^2$. The total area of the city is 534.35 square kilometres (206.31 sq mi).

## 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
* Ichikawa
* Kakogawa
* Kamikawa
* Kasai
* Shisō
* Taishi
* Takasago
* Tatsuno

### 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 (60.1 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,254.7 mm (49.40 in) with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 27.8 °C (82.0 °F), and lowest in January, at around 4.4 °C (39.9 °F). The highest temperature ever recorded in Himeji was 38.0 °C (100.4 °F) on 31 August 2020; the coldest temperature ever recorded was −10.0 °C (14.0 °F) on 24 January 1963.
Climate data for Himeji (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1948−present) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 17.5 (63.5) | 21.6 (70.9) | 23.3 (73.9) | 28.0 (82.4) | 31.8 (89.2) | 34.9 (94.8) | 37.3 (99.1) | 38.0 (100.4) | 36.6 (97.9) | 32.4 (90.3) | 26.4 (79.5) | 21.5 (70.7) | 38.0 (100.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 9.6 (49.3) | 10.4 (50.7) | 13.8 (56.8) | 19.1 (66.4) | 23.7 (74.7) | 26.8 (80.2) | 30.5 (86.9) | 32.5 (90.5) | 28.6 (83.5) | 23.1 (73.6) | 17.3 (63.1) | 11.9 (53.4) | 20.6 (69.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 4.4 (39.9) | 5.0 (41.0) | 8.3 (46.9) | 13.6 (56.5) | 18.5 (65.3) | 22.4 (72.3) | 26.4 (79.5) | 27.8 (82.0) | 23.8 (74.8) | 17.9 (64.2) | 11.9 (53.4) | 6.6 (43.9) | 15.6 (60.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 0.2 (32.4) | 0.5 (32.9) | 3.2 (37.8) | 8.2 (46.8) | 13.5 (56.3) | 18.5 (65.3) | 23.0 (73.4) | 24.0 (75.2) | 19.8 (67.6) | 13.4 (56.1) | 7.3 (45.1) | 2.4 (36.3) | 11.2 (52.1) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −10.0 (14.0) | −7.8 (18.0) | −7.6 (18.3) | −2.0 (28.4) | 1.5 (34.7) | 7.9 (46.2) | 13.0 (55.4) | 14.3 (57.7) | 8.9 (48.0) | 1.7 (35.1) | −2.0 (28.4) | −7.4 (18.7) | −10.0 (14.0) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 36.9 (1.45) | 48.6 (1.91) | 92.0 (3.62) | 104.7 (4.12) | 127.3 (5.01) | 160.4 (6.31) | 184.3 (7.26) | 105.4 (4.15) | 177.8 (7.00) | 108.7 (4.28) | 61.2 (2.41) | 47.5 (1.87) | 1,254.7 (49.40) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 1 (0.4) | 4 (1.6) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 (0.4) | 6 (2.4) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 4.7 | 6.0 | 8.7 | 8.8 | 9.0 | 10.8 | 10.3 | 7.0 | 9.3 | 7.5 | 5.5 | 5.3 | 92.9 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 1 cm) | 0.3 | 0.8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.4 | 1.5 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 70 | 69 | 67 | 66 | 70 | 75 | 78 | 73 | 74 | 73 | 73 | 72 | 72 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 149.1 | 142.5 | 173.7 | 191.8 | 203.1 | 156.0 | 172.1 | 209.9 | 158.8 | 167.4 | 154.8 | 155.1 | 2,034.4 |
| Source: Japan Meteorological Agency ||||||||||||||

### Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Himeji in 2020 is 530,495 people. Himeji has been conducting censuses since 1920.

## 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 o June 22, 1945 at 0950, in which 60 B-29 Superfortress bombers centered on Andrea 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)

| # | Name ' | Time of office | Time of office | Terms |
| 1 | Kiyoshi Aridome (有留清) | July 1889 | August 1898 | 9 years and 1 month |
| 2 | Shigeho Obata (小畑茂穂) | November 1898 | July 1900 | 1 year and 8 months ' |
| 3 | Chikaharu Ohno (大野親温) | November 1900 | February 1901 | 3 months |
| 4 | Taketomi Otsuka (大塚武臣) | June 1901 | April 1909 | 7 years and 10 months |
| 5 | Otokichi Hori (堀音吉) | June 1909 | June 1915 | 6 years |
| 6 | Masayuki Inoue (井上正進) | November 1915 | November 1919 | 4 years |
| 7 | Yoshihara Sugiyama (杉山義治) | April 1920 | April 1924 | 4 years |
| 8 | Nagahiko Shigeoka (滋岡長彦) | September 1924 | February 1930 | 6 years |
| 9 | Fukuzo Sato (佐藤復三) | August 1930 | August 1934 | 4 years |
| 10 | Toshinobu Tadera (田寺俊信) | September 1934 | September 1938 | 4 years |
| # | Name | Time of office | Time of office | Terms |
| 11 | Hisashi Kurashige (蔵重久) | May 1939 | June 1939 | 1 month |
| 12 | Kankichi Tsuboi (坪井勧吉) | September 1939 | September 1943 | 4 years |
| 13 | Soubei Hara (原惣兵衛) | October 1943 | April 1946 | 2 years and 6 months |
| 14 | Kokichi Miyagaki (宮垣幸吉) | April 1946 | June 1946 | 2 months |
| 15 | Motohide Iwami (石見元秀) | July 1946 | April 1967 | 20 years and 9 months |
| 16 | Toyonobu Yoshida (吉田豊信) | April 1967 | April 1983 | 16 years |
| 17 | Matsuji Totani (戸谷松司) | April 1983 | April 1995 | 12 years |
| 18 | Kazuhiro Horikawa (堀川和洋) | April 1995 | April 2003 | 8 years |
| 19 | Toshikatsu Iwami (石見利勝) | April 2003 | April 2019 | 16 years |
| 20 | Hideyasu Kiyomoto (清元秀泰) | April 2019 | present | Current |

## Economy

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.

## 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 (西播朝鮮初中級学校), can also be found in the city.

## Transportation
### Railway

JR West – San'yō Shinkansen
* Himeji
JR West – San'yō Main Line (JR Kobe Line)
* Himeji-Bessho - Gochaku - Higashi-Himeji - Himeji --- Agaho - Harima-Katsuhara - Aboshi
JR West – Bantan Line
* Himeji - Kyōguchi - Nozato - Tohori - Nibuno - Kōro - Mizoguchi
JR West – Kishin Line
* Himeji - Harima-Takaoka - Yobe - Ōichi
Sanyo Electric Railway - Main Line
* Ōshio - Matogata - Yaka - Shirahamanomiya - Mega - Shikama - Kameyama - Tegara - Sanyo Himeji
Sanyo Electric Railway - Aboshi Line
* Shikama - Nishi-Shikama - Yumesakigawa - Hirohata - Sanyo-Temma - Hiramatsu - Sanyo-Aboshi

### Highways

* San'yō Expressway
* Chūgoku Expressway
* Bantan Renraku Road
* National Route 2
* National Route 29
* National Route 179
* National Route 250
* National Route 312
* National Route 372
* National Route 436

### 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

## 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

* Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
* Changwon, South Gyeongsang, South Korea
* Charleroi, Belgium
* Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
* Phoenix, Arizona, United States
* Taiyuan, Shanxi, China

#### Japan

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

#### Sister castles

* Château de Chantilly in Chantilly, France
* 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.
* Engyō-ji
* Koko-en Garden
* Tegarayama Central Park

## Notable people from Himeji

* Kuroda Kanbei (黒田 官兵衛) (1546–1604), famed strategist under Toyotomi Hideyoshi
* Mikinosuke Kawaishi (川石 酒造之助) (1899–1969), judoka
* Aya Matsuura (松浦 亜弥) (1986-), entertainer
* Psycho le Cému (サイコ・ル・シェイム), visual kei rock band
* Kenzō Takada (高田 賢三) (1939–2020), fashion designer
* Masahisa Takenaka (竹中 正久) (1933–1985), the 4th kumicho of Yamaguchi-gumi, Japan's largest yakuza syndicate
* Tetsuro Watsuji (和辻 哲郎) (1889–1960), philosopher and historian