Historical Tourist Attractions 歴史的観光名所
This article features historical tourist attractions in the Kinki region!
① Himeji Castle (姫路城)
Himeji Castle is one of UNESCO's World Heritage sites. It is located in Himeji City in the Hyogo prefecture. The Himeji Castle was built in 1346 by Akamatsu Sadanori as a defense against local shoguns. It became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993 and is the only Japanese castle on the list today. The castle is also known as White Heron Castle (Shirasagi-jo) due to its elegant, white appearance.
② The Great Buddha of Nara (奈良の大仏)
The Great Buddha of Nara is located in Todaiji- a temple in the Nara prefecture. The statue is an astonishing 15 meters tall (approximately 49 feet). The Nara period was filled with disasters, diseases, political change, and rebellion. Japan was in a state of instability and chaos and so the Buddha was built to bring peace and calmness. In order to build the statue and the architecture around the statue, it took around half of the population at the time (approximately 2.6 million people).
③ Ise Grand Shrine (伊勢神宮)
Ise Grand Shrine is located in Ise, Mie prefecture in Japan. The shrine was dedicated to Amaterasu Omikami-the sun goddess and supreme deity of the Shinto pantheon. The Ise Grand Shrine is made up of many Shinto shrines but is centered around 2 main shrines: Naiku and Gaku. Tradition says that it was built in 4 BCE and is up to 2,000 years old.
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