Sister Cities

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.
 

 

The map of Himeji city

Himeji Castle

Charleroi by night

Students from Himeji visited Charleroi in 2019