Himeji Castle
Himeji Castle

Countless historically valuable cultural assets are dotted throughout Hyogo, a diverse prefecture blessed with varied seasonal weather and distinct climatic zones. One of the most prominent is Himeji Castle, also known as the White Heron Castle, which is registered as a World Heritage Site. Hyogo also boasts a wealth of traditional culture such as the Awaji Ningyo Joruri puppet theater performances that remain extremely popular with visitors. Moreover, the international port city of Kobe is famed as the gateway through which such Western cultural innovations as golf and movies were first introduced to Japan, as well as for dispatching many products of Japanese culture including karaoke and animation to the rest of the world.