Himeji, Hyōgo Prefecture, Kansai Region, Japan

🇯🇵  Himeji (姫路市) is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan.

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 • Kakogawa • Takasago • Kasai • Tatsuno • Shisō • Taishi • Kamikawa • Ichikawa.

History Himeji has been the centre 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, inshicn 107 aircraft dropped 767 tons of incendiary bombs 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.

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: Universities • University of Hyogo - Himeji Institute of Technology • Himeji University • Himeji Dokkyo University • Himeji Hinomoto College • Kenmei Women's Junior College (1951-2008)

Transport: Rail 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

Transport: Road • 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 • Shodoshima Ferry: Himeji Kazuma Port-Fukuda Port (Shōdoshima) • Bozeki Kisen: Himeji Kazuma Port - Tanga Island - Boze Island • Kosoku Ieshima: Himeji Kazuma Port - Iejima • Takafuku Liner: Himeji Kazuma Port - Iejima.