HIMEJI, Hyogo -- A ticket to the famously postcard-perfect Himeji Castle will cost more than double the current rate for anyone from outside this western Japan city beginning in March 2026, the municipal government has announced.

The current admission fee of 1,000 yen (about $6.60) will remain unchanged for city residents, but visitors will have to fork out 2,500 yen (about $16.40). Children of elementary school age and up are currently charged 300 yen (around $2) to enter the UNESCO World Heritage site, but under the revised fees all those aged under 18 will be admitted free of charge regardless of residency.

A related draft ordinance revision is scheduled to be submitted to the regular Himeji Municipal Assembly meeting, which began on Feb. 17. The revised fee will be the highest in Japan for entry to a castle building.

It will be the first fee revision since March 2015. According to the city, about 1.48 million people visited the castle in fiscal 2023, generating revenue of about 1.1 billion yen (approx. $7.24 million). After the fee hike, the city expects in the range of 1.2 million visitors annually, with an increase in revenue of about 1 billion yen (some $6.58 million).

Maintenance, preservation and repair costs, among other expenses for the decade from fiscal 2015 reached some 14.5 billion yen (around $95.5 million). Considering the rising cost of labor and commodity prices, the city calculated that these prices will increase to about 28 billion yen (approx. $184 million) over the 10 years from fiscal 2025.

At a Feb. 14 news conference, Mayor Hideyasu Kiyomoto sought understanding of the move, stating, "Himeji Castle is not an observation tower. A large amount of money is necessary to protect this historical heritage site with a history of over 400 years, and ensure the safety of tourists."

As for why the entry fee for Himeji residents will remain at 1,000 yen, he stated, "City tax income is used not only for the castle, but also for preservation of the castle town's scenery. We took into consideration the fact that many citizens including volunteer cleaners have been protecting the castle." When purchasing a ticket, residents will in principle be asked to present their My Number national ID cards to prove that they live in the city.

In line with the price increase, a new 5,000 yen (roughly $33) annual pass will be issued. To ease congestion, the city plans to introduce digital tickets, which will be sold on a trial basis between April 1 and Oct. 14 in line with the 2025 Osaka Expo. The cost of the digital tickets will be the same as those sold at counters.

(Japanese original by Nobuya Muramoto, Himeji Bureau)