Himeji Castle hosted Moon Viewing Party on 25 September
Published on 09/27/2026 at 10:41 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
The Moon Viewing Party at Himeji Castle in Himeji took place on 25 September 2026, bringing a seasonal cultural programme to the castle grounds. The event was held at the Sannomaru Square, with Himeji-j? providing the historic setting for the 44th edition.
The date places the event inside the current autumn travel window for visitors to Japan. Travellers arriving after 25 September 2026 will find the castle itself open as a heritage attraction, but not this particular evening programme.
Moon Viewing Party brought music to Himeji Castle on 25 September
The Moon Viewing Party was scheduled from 5pm to 9pm on Friday, 25 September 2026. The venue was Sannomaru Square at Himeji Castle, and the event was organised by the Himeji Castle Event Executive Committee.
The programme included performances of koto, the traditional Japanese stringed instrument. The published event information also listed Japanese taiko drumming, dance performances, a tea ceremony, local food and a moon-observation area supported by the Himeji City Science Museum. The organiser’s event programme for the Moon Viewing Party gave 25 September 2026 as the main date and 26 September 2026 as the rain postponement date.
Himeji Castle links the moon-viewing event to a 1617 expansion
The castle’s present grandeur reflects an expansion completed in 1617 under the feudal lord Ikeda Terumasa. Its earlier history reaches back to 1333, when Akamatsu Norimura first constructed a fort on the site.
The setting gave the September programme a direct connection with the building’s surviving fabric. The square lies within the castle grounds, while the keep, turrets, gates, earthen walls, stone walls and moat form part of the ensemble recognised as Japan’s first UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993. The official Himeji Castle heritage guide records that conservation of the main keep was completed in 2015.
The white plasterwork seen today is therefore part of a recently conserved main keep, rather than a temporary event structure. The moon-viewing programme used the open forecourt while leaving the castle’s historical architecture as the principal backdrop.
Visiting Himeji Castle: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The Moon Viewing Party took place on 25 September 2026 at Sannomaru Square, with the published main programme running from 5pm to 9pm.
- The event was a special evening programme in the castle grounds, not a change to the regular route through the main keep. Visitors arriving after 25 September 2026 should not expect the Moon Viewing Party to continue.
- Himeji Castle stands at 68 Honmachi in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture. From JR Himeji or Sanyo Himeji station, the official castle information directs visitors to walk or take a Shinki bus to the Otemon-mae stop.
- The keep and turrets contain steep, narrow stairs, slopes and wooden floors. The official operator states that there are no lifts inside the castle tower or turrets.
- Japanese is Japan’s official language and the national currency is the yen.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Himeji Castle
When did the Moon Viewing Party take place at Himeji Castle?
The 44th Moon Viewing Party took place on 25 September 2026 at Sannomaru Square. The event was scheduled from 5pm to 9pm, with 26 September 2026 listed as the rain postponement date.
What is Himeji Castle?
Himeji Castle is a Japanese castle whose present scale dates from an expansion completed in 1617. It became Japan’s first UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993.
Where is Himeji Castle and how do you get there?
The castle is at 68 Honmachi in Himeji, Japan. JR Himeji and Sanyo Himeji stations are connected with the site by walking routes and a Shinki bus service to Otemon-mae.
