![]() Today, Himeji is of the most popular castles in Japan for tourists and can be visited year-round. Allegedly, the weapon was, in fact, thrown into a fake wall, built to protect the real castle structure. There are unsubstantiated stories which claim that the film crew encountered problems after photos appeared in Japanese newspapers appearing to show a weapon (either a knife or shuriken throwing star) embedded in one of the castle’s ancient wooden walls during the filming of a scene. James Bond visits Himeji to receive training, in order to infiltrate the island where his nemesis, Ernst Blofeld, is hiding out and putting together his latest scheme for world domination. In the film, Himeji is portrayed as a ninja training school led by Tiger Tanaka (played by actor Tetsuro Tamba), the head of the Japanese Secret Service. In more recent times, Himeji Castle became known as a particularly eye-catching location in the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice, starring Sean Connery as Ian Fleming’s famous spy (the screenplay was written by British author Roald Dahl, best-known for his children’s books, and unlike the previous four Bond films, it was only loosely based on Ian Fleming’s novel of the same name). However, there have been various repairs and renovations of Himeji over the centuries. The main part of Himeji is built from wood and has remained remarkably resilient over the centuries, although the castle was never attacked or destroyed, despite the city of Himeji being bombed in World War Two. ![]() ![]() The castle was passed into the ownership of the state in 1869. Himeji is also known as Shirasagi-jō (‘White Heron Castle’), due to its striking white exterior, and was recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993, as well as being designated one of Japan’s National Treasures. Himeji’s current main structure dates back to 1609, although a fortification of some form was first built on the site in the 14th century. ![]() ![]() A striking 17th century castle in Japan, Himeji is known for being one of the most well-preserved and beautiful castles of its kind in the country. ![]()
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