Himeji Castle

An important 17th Century Castle in Japan that doubles up as a brilliant UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Himeji Castle is as graceful as a structure could possibly get. With a wooden and earthen exterior, the castle very evidently employs some of the best defence measures of the Shogun Era. There is a reason why it is called the most beautiful surviving ’jo’s' in Japan. Located in the town of Himeji in the Hyogo prefecture, this feudal castle makes for a popular side trip from the city of Kyoto, and millions of tourists embark upon this journey on an almost daily basis.
If you intend to take the Shinkansen bullet train, Himeji is connected to Kyoto by virtue of the Sanyo Shinkansen/JR Tokaido line, and the journey should last roughly an hour. If you do not have a JR Pass, you could take a Nozomi train and if you do, the Hikari is a good option. However, reserving a seat on either of the trains should cost you around 5000 Yen. Moreover, direct rapid trains operated by JR run between Kyoto and Himeji come for approximately 2250 Yen. The journey should last about 90 minutes.
Pro-tip: The local train is a more cost effective option for a day trip from Kyoto for those who do not possess a Japan Rail Pass.