Sister Cities

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Himeji (Hyogo) & Charleroi (Hainaut)

* Since 13th July 1965

Located about 650 km west of Tokyo, Himeji is a city with a population of 530,000. Himeji Castle, built more than 400 years ago, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1993 for the first time in Japan.
Himeji has had close relations with Belgian people through churches and the school established by a Belgian order. Sister-city affiliation was proposed when King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola visited Himeji in 1964, and the two cities became sisters in 1965. Friendship between the citizens has been deepened through various cultural exchange programs and mutual visits. Junior high school students from Himeji visit Charleroi and homestay every year since 1993.

  • Himeji
  • International Relations Office, Cultural Exchange Section, Himeji City
  • Email: kokusai@city.himeji.hyogo.jp   
  • Tel: 079(287)0820
  • Fax: 079(287)0824

Click image to enlarge
map_himeji himeji_03 himeji_01 himeji_02 charleroi_01
Himeji Himeji Castle Students from Himeji
visited Charleroi in 2014
Charleroi by night