Himeji Castle reaches milestone of 2.22 million visitors

More than 2.22 million visitors flocked to Himeji Castle here between April 1 and Dec. 9, making it the most popular castle in Japan.A UNESCO World Heritage site, Himeji Castle's surging popularity is largely due to major renovations that were completed in March to restore the gleaming white walls of the castle's main keep.

A Himeji city official said expectations are high that sightseers will continue crowding the hilltop castle's grounds to view the renovations. Kumamoto Castle in fiscal 2008 attracted 2,219,517 visitors, previously the highest attendance figure over the past 10 years, according to Zenkoku Jokaku Kanrisha Kyogikai (National council of castle managers), which consists of 49 major castles that are tourist attractions in Japan.