News On Japan

Himeji Castle Unlocks Inner Towers

HYOGO, Apr 13 (News On Japan) - Himeji Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Hyogo Prefecture, has begun its special spring opening, offering visitors the rare chance to explore parts of the castle that are usually off-limits to the public.

The event grants access to three smaller keeps located beside the castle’s main tower, along with the three connecting corridors. These structures, all designated as national treasures, are not typically open for entry. Their special opening has been timed to coincide with the launch of Expo 2025.

Among them, the five-story Inui Kotenshu, or Northwest Keep, features a top floor without window lattices, providing a dramatic view of the imposing main tower. Visitors were seen gazing out with curiosity and admiration at the panoramic sight.

Source: KTV NEWS

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

Japan's prison system is undergoing a major shift as it prepares to introduce "confinement punishment," moving away from traditional penal servitude that emphasized punishment toward a new focus on rehabilitation.

A passenger car was captured speeding across the frame from left to right by a security camera just moments before a fatal crash in Iida City, Nagano Prefecture, that claimed the lives of four vocational school students.

Organic fluorine compounds known as PFAS—suspected to be harmful to human health—have been detected at concentrations exceeding the national provisional target in rivers and groundwater at 242 sites across 22 prefectures, according to a government survey.

The Japanese government will begin issuing blue tickets for bicycle traffic violations in April 2026, with fines including 5,000 yen for ignoring stop signs and up to 12,000 yen for riding while using a smartphone.

A 26-year-old woman was arrested in the early hours of April 24th in Kasuya Town, Fukuoka Prefecture, on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. While admitting to the offense, she claimed, "I ate chocolate that contained alcohol."

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Travel NEWS

Thomas the Tank Engine and his longtime friend Percy have reunited after about two and a half years apart on the Oigawa Railway in Shizuoka Prefecture, with operations set to begin on April 26th.

Universal Studios Japan has announced a surprise expansion of its popular Minion Park, increasing the area by 1.4 times and unveiling a new attraction that features the park’s first-ever moving walkway.

Japan plans to introduce a new electronic travel authorization system to bolster immigration screening for foreign visitors, moving up its original timeline in response to the recent surge in arrivals.

The total number of visitors to Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai surpassed one million on April 23rd, just 11 days after the event began. Despite being a weekday, the venue remained crowded, with long lines forming at popular pavilions such as the one from the United States.

Foreign tourists are lining up to visit some of Tokyo’s most photogenic spring attractions, with Nezu Shrine in Bunkyo Ward drawing crowds on April 22nd as vibrant late-blooming azaleas reached their peak.

Shibata Town, known for its flourishing cherry blossoms, has embraced a tree ownership system to pass the beauty of its roughly 400 commemorative trees—planted to mark births, marriages, and other milestones—on to future generations.

Service on the Suruga Bay Ferry, which connects Shimizu Port in Shizuoka City and Toi Port in Izu, Shizuoka Prefecture, resumed on April 18th after a suspension of about three months.

Welcome back to the Ginza Line Walking Tour. This is part 2 of 6. Today, let’s pick up from where we left off—Aoyama-itchome—and walk past the vast Akasaka Imperial Residence toward Akasaka-mitsuke. (Video Street View Japan)