Nine distinct gardens, behind the walls of the unearthed old samurai residences.
The garden occupies the site of the castle's western residence and the samurai quarters that surrounded it: excavations uncovered the original divisions of the land, and the route reuses them to separate nine different gardens (each behind its own gate or its own wall) instead of opening them into a single continuous space. Himeji Castle, visible beyond the trees, becomes part of the composition as borrowed scenery (借景, shakkei), the same technique used in the great gardens of Kyoto. Opened in 1992 for the city's centenary.
A pond-strolling style garden (池泉回遊式) of about 33,000 square metres, built on the site of the former western residence of Himeji Castle and the adjoining samurai quarters.
ℹ️ Open 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30), closed on 29 and 30 December. Tickets 310 yen for adults, 150 yen for students; combined ticket with the castle 1,050 yen. Special evening illumination during the cherry blossom (about 80 trees) and the autumn maples (about 230 trees).
🚉 Sanyo Himeji · 16 min walk
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