It has been said that a residence of warriors was established here in the 14th century. However, the first castle with true fortifications was built around 1560. When Hashiba Hideyoshi, the vassal of Oda Nobunaga, entered into Harima in 1576 the regionally powerful Kodera family resisted, but was defeated. Their vassal, Kuroda Yoshitaka, followed Hideyoshi and in 1580 offered him his castle, Himeji Castle, and a settled elsewhere.
Hideyoshi transformed the castle into the new style by surrounding it with stone walls, building a main donjon, and establishing a large surrounding town. Even after Hideyoshi defeated Akechi Mitsuhide, who killed Oda Nobunaga, settled at Osaka Castle in 1583 as a man of supreme power, Himeji Castle remained in the hands of his relatives. It was occupied first by his younger brother, then his brother-in-law.
Ikeda Mitsumasa became the lord of Himeji in 1600 for his services during the Battle of Sekigahara. He radically remodeled and transformed the castle into the immense fortress it is today. Himeji Castle, also known by its nickname "White Heron Castle" (Shirasagi-jô) owing to its beautiful white main donjon built during Ikeda's time, has been classified as a national treasure and special historical site by the state, as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which attracts many tourists today.