Himeji
The city is surrounded by the mountains and the sea. History. Himeji has been the center of Harima Province since the Nara period. 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. Himeji was the capital of Himeji Prefecture (later Shikama Prefecture) from 1871, but the prefecture was merged into Hyōgo Prefecture in 1876. The city of Himeji was established on April 1, 1889. After the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake, the Japanese government reportedly considered moving the nation's capital from Tokyo  to Himeji. 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 raid. During World War II, Himeji was selected as a target by the United States' XXI Bomber Command because it served as an important rail terminal and contained two large military zones. On July 3, 1945 at 4:23 PM (JST), 107 Aircraft took off to bomb Himeji. During the raid, 767 tons of incendiary bombs were dropped on Himeji, destroying 63.3% of the built  up areas of the city. However, the famous Himeji Castle remained remarkably unscathed, even with one firebomb being dropped on it. This has resulted in many Himeji residents believing that the castle is divinely protected. Geography. 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 . The average annual rainfall is with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around , and lowest in January, at around . The highest temperature ever recorded in Himeji  was on 31 August 2020; the coldest temperature ever recorded was on 24 January 1963. Demographics. Per Japanese census data, the population of Himeji in 2020 is 530,495 people. Himeji has been conducting censuses since 1920. Points of interest. Originally a castle town, Himeji is home to the 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. Education. Himeji's education system is similar to other cities in Japan . In the city itself, there are roughly 20-30 foreigners who teach English at the local elementary and junior high schools in the JET program. The schools range from the islands of Boze and Ie all the way north past Yumesaki. A North Korean school, , can also be found in the city. 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, 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. References. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-50339999