Venturing out slightly west from Osaka is Himeji. The last time we were in Japan the Himeji castle was closed for 5 years for restoration, it was only recently(March 2015) reopened to the public. Not knowing when we will have the chance to revisit Japan, waste no time we headed out from Osaka early in the morning and took the Shinkansen to Himeji. Traveling time about 1 1/2 hours but that depends, we took one super fast for our return trip to Osaka, which only took 30 minutes.
This time around we really outspend the cost of the JR pass, but then it's not really that hard a round trip from Tokyo - Kyoto is already worth it!
as we approached Himeji we can already see the Castle from afar thanks to it's location which was built on Himeyama hill
Free wifi @ train station, most main train station in Japan has free wifi
Those who travel with kids or elderly can take the bus from the train station to the castle
or like us, we walked. It was not really far or complicated just walk straight for 15-20 minutes and viola you have reached your destination
plus it's not dull at all there is a shopping street, with cafe, restaurant and of course shopping store
stop for a early lunch before exploring the castle
thanks to our friend Mr Wong for this yummy lunch though previously he tried to convince us to try Vietnamese food here...in Japan..... no thanks :P
we are here!!!
us @ Himeji castle
out of no where Boon started pulling off peace sign
Himeji Castle was the 1st to be registered as UNESCO World Heritage Site in Japan in 1993 and it is also the largest Castle in Japan
Started as a fort in 1333 then it was dismantled and rebuilt as Himyama Castle and then remodeled into Himeji Castle and the slowly it was expend into a large castle complex over the centuries
entrance fee 1000yen/pax (about $8USD)
going through Hishi Gate
it's absolutely stunning the the sun light hits the building, after restoration the castle looks practically brand new...gone with the decades dirt. It is said the brilliant white exterior resemblance to a bird taking flight
Sangoku moat
our travel partner of the day Mr Wong! Thanks for meeting us
i bet this place look amazing in the spring with all the cherry blossoms blooming
the holes on the wall, were used as shooting holes which arrows and guns were shot
as it is newly opened to public, long queue is unavoidable
but then i have more time talking picture!! win win
luckily we were start to eat before coming
autumn blooming cheery
and we are in!!!
there are 7 floors in total including the basement
view from the 2nd floor
thick latticed windows are to prevent enemy intrusions and the entry of arrows and bullets
yes, there is no elevator just stairs, it's not a wheelchair friendly, according yo our friend MR Wong, this castle is the real deal, unlike the other castle in Japan which are mostly just replica
according to history this Himeji Castle is a rather lucky castle, it was spared many time from demolition, earthquakes and even during WWII when Himeji was heavily bombed, although most of the surrounding was burned to ground, the castle survived even though a bomb was dropped on the top floor of the castle but did not explode
there are still some restoration in progress
weapon racks
double door, double the protection :D
gable room
that is the straight road i mention earlier leading to the train station, Otemaedori street with Ginkgo trees lining on the side walk
as we progress toward the higher floors it's get narrower, must be curious about the plastic bag everyone is carrying? it's your own shoe, no shoe in the castle
see the roof with plastered tiles, it is used to resist the winds and swing
view from the top floor
Shrine of Himeyama Hill is placed on the top floor of the castle
going back down
on the 4th floor, there is a stone throwing platforms, like the one on the left. it was also used for monitoring
secret holes used by the ninjas
there are less people going down so finally i can take photos of the interior
i don't remember what this room is for
and that's the end of our visit to the main keep,
it's rather different from Osaka castle, it's still in it's original state with and modern features like in Osaka castle
exit through Bizan gate
Okiku well
this well it said to have a very dark story, the story is about 1 group of people trying to take over the castle, spy were sent to serve as maid(Okiku) by opposition leader's loyal aide and spy learn that lord of the castle plans to kill their leader and she went back to tell the loyal aide. The opposition leader manager to escape but was soon found out spy's identity and she was forced to married to a man who helped opposition leader with the plotting to spare her life but Okiku refuse as she love the loyal aide. Anyway he kill her and accused her of stealing the lord of the castle family treasure plates. He then throw her body down this very well.
Legend tells that ever since, voice of Okiku counting the 9 plates over and over again coming from the well
1 plate..... 2 plates......boo
well i did not hear anything but maybe it's just during the night?
Nu gate
map of the castle
can't get enough of the castle
group photo
view of the castle from the Kesho Yuagura (aka cosmetic tower)
room where Princess Sen used to take a rest
nearby garden
one can also take the boat tour but i'm pretty sure it's in Japanese only??
machines making Japanese cooking/ cake
ok ok one last snap before we say goodbye
back to the shopping street
has Okonomiyaki Himeji style, almost the same as the osaka style, the mix everything together
then we has chicken wing upon Mr Wong's request....hehe
it's a chain store
taste not bad and the price was quite reasonable.... thanks again to Mr Wong for dinner....we should visit you more often...hehe
Himeji is really worth visiting if you have the time and if you like castle. There are many other attractions to visit in the area but too bad we had rather limited time as always in our traveling....oh well more reason to revisit Japan i guess
~ Ja ne ~
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