Himeji is home of one of Japan's best preserved castles. It's known as the White Herring Castle. Construction of the castle, in its current form, began in 1601 under Ikeda Terumasa. It is Japan's most visited castle. From Kyoto, it's roughly a one hour ride by the fastest (most expensive) bullet train. Be warned that if you're planning to visit, they're planning to repair the plaster walls on the outside of the main keep starting in April 2010. The walls will be hidden by scaffolding and they expect the repairs to take a few years.