Himeji (姫路市, Himeji-shi^?) is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. As of April 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 535,945, with 206,409 households. The total area is 534.43 km².

Himeji has been the center of Harima Province since Nara period. After the Battle of Sekigahara, Ikeda Terumasa received a fief at Harima Province and established the Himeji Domain. He expanded the Himeji Castle and its castle town.

Himeji was the capital of Himeji Prefecture (later Shikama Prefecture) since 1871, but the prefecture was merged into Hyogo Prefecture in 1876. The city of Himeji was municipalized on April 1, 1889. After the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake, the Japanese government reportedly considered moving the nation's capital from Tokyo to Himeji.

On March 27, 2006 the town of Yasutomi, from Shisō District, the town of Kōdera, from Kanzaki District, and the towns of Ieshima and Yumesaki, from Shikama District, were merged into Himeji.

Himeji was selected as a target by the United States' XXI Bomber Command because it served as an important rail terminal and contained two large military zones. On July 3rd 1945 at 4:23 PM (JST) 107 Aircraft took off to bomb Himeji. 767 tons of incendiary bombs were dropped on Himeji, destroying 63.3% of the built up areas of the city.