Sister Cities & Castles

In addition to 2 Japanese cities of Matsumoto and Tottori, Himeji shares sister affiliations with 6 cities and 1 castle overseas and is busy promoting a variety of exchange activities.
The main activities are mutual visits by friendship delegations and youth groups in addition to promoting a wide range of exchanges in fields such as culture, education and economy. With an eye towards the international era of the 21st century, warm friendship exchange activities to deepen the bonds with our sister cities and sister castle are becoming more active every year.

Overseas

The City of Charleroi (Belgium)

Charleroi is an old castle town located about 60 km south of Brussels, the capital of Belgium. While traces of the medieval era remain, the current industrial development of Charleroi is mainly due to the steel, chemical, and high technology industries.
Affiliated on July 13, 1965.
http://www.charleroi.be/

The City of Phoenix (U.S.A.)

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Phoenix is the capital of the state of Arizona. Phoenix is located in the center of the Sonoran Desert and is surrounded by a chain of mountains. It is well known as a city of tourism and leisure at the same time as being a city of cutting edge technology.
Affiliated on November 3, 1976.
http://www.ci.phoenix.az.us/

The City of Adelaide (Australia)

Adelaide is the capital of the state of South Australia. The entire city is surrounded by parks with a beautiful blend of old and new buildings. It is an industrial city consisting of mainly high-tech and metal industries.
Affiliated on April 19, 1982.
http://www.adelaide.sa.gov.au/

The City of Curitiba (Brazil)

Curitiba is the capital of the state of Parana. Curitiba means, “Many pines”. The city is located on a plateau 900 m above sea level and it is a very beautiful city with many museums, churches, and parks.
Affiliated on May 14, 1984.
http://www.curitiba.pr.gov.br/

The City of Taiyuan (China)

Taiyuan is the capital of Shanxi Province. The city has a 2,400 year history and is a center of politics, economy and culture. It is located in the highlands 780 m above sea level and it has developed various industries such as iron and steel and machinery.
Affiliated on May 20, 1987.
http://www.taiyuan.gov.cn/

The City of Masan (Republic of Korea)

Masan is located approximately 50 km west of Pusan City in the southeastern part of the Republic of Korea. The city has a population of approximately 430,000 people and occupies an area of 330km2. The Masan Export Free Zone was established and many Japanese companies have located there.
Affiliated on April 18, 2000.
http://masan.go.kr/

Domestic

The City of Matsumoto (Japan)

Matsumoto is a castle town surrounded by the Japan Alps and highlands. 5 buildings that make up Matsumoto Castle such as the castle tower, the Inui small castle tower, and scaffold were designated as a national treasure site and the scenery of the castle amidst the backdrop of the magnificent mountains is splendid.
Affiliated on November 17, 1966.
http://www.city.matsumoto.nagano.jp/

The City of Tottori (Japan)

Tottori is a castle town of the Ikeda Family consisting of approximately 57,724.8 m3. The Tottori Sand Dunes in the northern part of Tottori are Japan’s largest coastal sand dunes and together with Koyama Pond, Tottori is a popular tourist destination.
Affiliated on March 8, 1972.
http://www.city.tottori.tottori.jp/

Castle

Chantilly Castle (L’oise, France)

The world heritage site of Himeji Castle has a sister castle relationship with Chantilly Castle, which is called the most beautiful castle in France. Chantilly Castle is an old castle located approximately 40 km north of Paris and is representative of the superb architectural style of the Renaissance. The large garden has a pond, ramada, and stone figures, and the scenery of the castle reflecting on the pond is elegant like a swan… To honor the municipal centennial of the Himeji City, an affiliation relationship was established on May 11, 1989. It is a first time that a castle in Japan established a sister relationship with a castle overseas.
http://www.ville-chantilly.fr/