Leaving Osaka on the way to Hiroshima I stopped off at Himeji, a town known only for a enormous castle. Not really worth the whole day so I only dropped in on my way west. It is huge...I'm not sure what other way to put it. At 5 stories, with a moat, a massive garden, and several other small guard houses surrounding it, it is no wonder the entir...

Our last day staying in in Kyoto and we decide to visit Himeji Castle, 55 minutes by Shinkasen from Kyoto. Again, the train departs and arrives exactly on time. Being used to the U.K. train system, it seems bizarre watching the white gloved train marshals on the platforms, constantly checking the second hands on their watches before pressing the...

A day trip outside Kyoto. Shinkansen. Met a great lady who guided around Himeji castle and the adjacent gardens. Rained. Blue crane. Huge Koi. Castle largest. Called white crane. Built to overlook western Japan. Knowledgeable guide. Pointed out many war features of castle. Moats x3. blind ends, Gun holes ( triangle, square, circle), Pits. collap...

Went out for dinner with Daniel again last night, we ended up in small grill place that was showing the football (Japan beat Egypt 4-1). I haven't been to a place like before, It was quite cool though, they guy cooked our food over charcoal right in front of us. It was a pretty uneventful journey here, the trains are amazingly punctual, I love i...

Since both of us had completed our final exam, we decided that it's about time for our long overdue vacation. So, we decided on a 5 days 4 nights package trip to Kobe, Osaka, Nara and Kyoto. We were booked on the 6.36am shinkansen to Shin Kobe and scheduled to arrive at 9.52am. Taking the shinkansen would guarantee you of your arrival time and d...

Ely - Today we made the long train ride to Himeji castle, arguably the best castle in Japan and one of the few which escaped invasions and destruction (mostly because the 'owner' was in good with the shogun.) We were lucky, as when we arrived we found one of the rarest and luckiest things in japan, a free volunteer tour guide who spoke near perf...

Himeji-jo is generally believed to be the finest Japanese castle still standing. Built in 1580 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, it was spared the fate of many other similar buildings which were torn down at the beginning of the Meiji era, by being bought and preserved for the nation. The building, which is better known to most Japanese as Shirasgi-jo or "...

This morning, the time had come to say goodbye to Mayumi and her family. We had such a great time staying with them and they showed us so much hospitality that it was hard to leave, but we finally did, heading for Kyoto. On the way, we stopped off at the town of Himeji to visit Himeji Castle. Himeji Castle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the...

After a final breakfast buffet at the Ana Hotel Hiroshima, Dad & I once again returned to the train station. This time, we were headed to Himeji, a Japanese town made famous by its 'ultimate Samurai castle' (quoting my Japan Tourist Book). This is the same castle that Kurosawa used for Ran, and it was continually built during the time span o...

What you've done becomes the judge of what you're going to do - especially in other people's minds. When you're travelling, you are what you are right there and then. People don't have your past to hold against you. No yesterdays on the road - William Least Heat Moon, Blue Highways Himeji-jo On to Himeji, 55km west of Kobe and conveniently loca...