We spent one night in Himeji at Phil's apartment. The castle is gorgeous and complex and amazingly built. You get the desire to run around like a kid, exploring every corner. The sakura blossoms, which were really at their peak now, were the best there of any place we went in Japan.

Himeji castle is World Heritage Site and National Treasure.

One of Japan's [three famous castles](Himeji,Matsumoto and Kumamoto castle)

One of Japan's [four national treasure castle](Himeji,Matsumoto,Hikone and Inuyama castle)

For the last day of my trip, my intention was to visit Himeji and hopefully stop at Kobe on the way back to Osaka.  I decided after failing on the 20^th in Shanghai, I first wanted to stop by the US Consulate to get my second set of additional passport pages.  The consulate was a short distance from my hotel, and I was being frisked and emptying everything out of my bag (should have just left the entire bag!) by 9:30.  Dropped off my passport and application and around 10:15 I got my passport back with 23 more pages to use…should last me through the expiration 2011 (last set was in 2006 but I did more travel over the past two years than I expect in the next three…at least for work.)

Walked down past the Osaka city hall in order to get to the Yodoyabashi station and made it to Osaka station in time to catch the 11AM train to Himeji.

Got to Himeji station at noon and stopped at the info desk where they gave me the info on the castle and Mount Shoya and when I asked, they suggested I go to Mount Shoya first if I wanted to do both.  I knew it was a 30 minute bus ride from the station to the mountain, so I hopped over to the bus terminal across the street and caught the 12:20 bus to Mount Shoya.  I arrived in time to catch the 1:00 cable car to the top…well, at least to where it leaves off…

From the cable car station at Mount Shoya to where Shoshazan-Engyoji Tempe is located is still around a 1.5km walk, mostly uphill.  Just to say how strenuous it can be…an (much) older gentleman who was on the cable car with me on the way up was still climbing when I passed on the way back around 1.5 hours later!

Now if you’re wondering, Shoshazan-Engyoji Tempe is an old temple from AD 966.  Most impressive of the buildings here are Maniden Temple and the Three Temples cluster of Daikodo, Jogyodo and Jikido.  Most of the important treasures are only visible for a few days each year, and this was not one of those days.  What this area is most known for these days, however, is the location where The Last Samurai was filmed.

Walking around the complex took quite a bit longer than expected, and I didn’t head back down the mountain until the 2:30 cable car and didn’t make it to Himeji Castle until close to 3:30.  At this point, I knew I had no chance of making it to a sake brewery in Kobe, and likely not to the earthquake memorial either, so I decided to take my time in Himeji and save Kobe for a future visit.  I’m glad I did because Himeji castle was quite a place to visit.

Himeji castle was initially started in the 1300’s, with the main complex it’s famous for today coming in the 16^th century.  In 1993, Himeji joined Horyuji Temple as Japan’s second selected World Cultural History Site.  The castle deserves this honor.  The castle itself is, in effect, original (some restorations have occurred).  Most other buildings and temples have suffered damage from fire or bombing, but Himeji seems to have been unscathed over the years.  And it is an amazing sight to behold.  In it’s heyday, Himeji was one of the most fortified building ever made, and it’s fortifications have never been breached in war.

For anyone taking the tour, I suggest including the West Bailey section of the tour and not heading directly to the main tower.  Seeing some of the defenses explained in the Bailey help explain how well the castle was protected.

This should be a stop on anyone’s tour of Japan!

Took the train back from Himeji and made a return stop to Fugetsu for another Okonomiyaki before heading back to the Netherlands on Saturday.  The last three days have included quite a lot of walking, but also quite a lot of much needed sleep…in my opinion, an excellent three-day holiday!

Kobe bird park is definately not for everyone if I weren't living here and was only travelling, then this place would be terrible, plus I have a child so it's a lot better if you have children with you. The place does have a large variety of birds and exotic birds as well, like the toucan, the hornbill and a large variety of owls but none of the aviaries are anything like their natural enviroments. The birds are also put on show where everyone can touch, hold and take photos of the birds, the poor birds are quite harassed especially the poor little penguin gets put on everyones knee for a photo oppurtunity. I admitt I took photos of birds with my son because I thought they were cute but at the same time I sought of felt bad for doing it. I refused to let my son hold the penguin just to get a photo. The place is also very expensive around 4500 yen,$45 for the family that's not including the buffet lunch which is another 1500 yen $15 per person or the cost of public transport To get to the bird park take the JR train from Osaka staion to Sannomiya and then change to the Port Pier Liner and take it to the second last stop. The station before the airport.

This is another example of how my trip was influenced by a travbuddy blog! I saw it and wanted to visit the castle, I didn't even know they had castles in Japan before... Since Himeji is on the way from Hiroshima to Kyoto, we had mapped it out and to make a stop in Himeji for the day before continuing to Kyoto, instead of going to Kyoto first, then make a day trip back to Himeji.

In Japan, it seemed all the train stations have lockers of various sizes so it was convenient to put our luggege in the lockers and then be free to walk around Himeji. The castle was only a short walk from the train station, really easy to make the trip. Basically we could see it in the distance on a bluff and it was straight down the main street in front of the train station, we couldn't get lost!

We took a leisurely walk toward the castle because I had planned to spend about 6 hours here. If you had less time, it would be not as leisurely but still doable, but we were glad to have this much time.

There was a shopping area with lots of interesting looking stores right across from the castle, and we decided to pay them a visit on the way back. The castle was real impressive looking even from a distance. There was a moat and a bridge took us over to the big gate which was the main entrance to the castle area. It was like a park with a lot of land surrounding the castle and its inner walls and baileys. There was a garden between the outer wall and the inner gate, I suppose it would have been real pretty if the peonies were blooming, but it was too early in the season, so we kept walking toward the inner gate where you buy the tickets.

Himeji castle dating back to the 14th century is the grandest of 12 remaining feudal castles left in Japan, and is now a UNESCO world heritage site. Its white walls and graceful rooflines are its signature looks. The inner walls of the castle formed several irregular baileys. The labryinths of gates and passageways were meant to confuse enemies in case they broken in, but was never put to the test. On top of the west baily walls were living quarters for the soldiers, maids for the castle etc, but also included a vanity tower at its corner for a princess! The main tower  contained 6 floors and a basement. where armaments were stored. The tower had been restored to its splendor, the floors were shiny wood and visitors had to remove their shoes to enter. Some floors had displays of paintings and artifacts from the shogun days. On display were also a model of the main tower used by the restorers, all made of wood.

The charm of the castle was not just in the main tower, which was quite a sight from any angle, but walking the grounds through the various baileys and gates and passageways were part of the experience.

After climbing all the way to the top and had a look around, we left the main tower and visited the so called Suicide Quarter, where supposedly was the place to commit ritual suicide. But again, it was never known to actually have been used for that purpose.

We left the castle ground, and went around the outside to a very nice Japanese garden. It was actually a great garden with many sub-gardens, each with its own theme. There were ponds, waterfalls, running streams, tea garden, flowering cherry blossoms and other flowers. Very pretty and relaxing to walk around.

On the way back to the train station, we stopped to visit the shops across from the castle. They had food samples for all the goodies, and we had some very tasty seaweeds (almost tasted like jerky).

We retrieved our luggage from the lockers and got back on the train for Kyoto, which was only less than 1 hour away.

Today was the last day on my Do! fitness membership, so I had a good final workout. Then, a rush back to the room to get ready for today's day trip: Kobe.

Kobe is famous for the exorbitantly expensive beef it produces. The beef is apparently quite tender -- partially attributed to the breed, but mostly due to the cows' daily massages and steady diet of beer and sake! We should all be so lucky.

Kobe is also the sight of a horrific earthquake that devastated the city in 1995 and plunged Japan into an economic crisis.  I still remember the images from the news programs, and can't believe it was 13 years ago... it feels more recent.

We took a regular old slow train to Kobe. It took us more time to orient ourselves once we had arrived, as we couldn't find an information area in the station (I don't think there is one). We went outside and tried to walk around the train station -- that didn't work. Then we went back and entered the underground area, into a mall called Harborland. Here we found an information booth, but the attendant spoke very little English, and she didn't have English language literature. We left with a couple brochures (in Japanese) and a bad map.

From there we wandered out into Harborland, and up some stairs to the outside world. All around there was newer construction, and it seemed oddly desolate. Where are the crowds? Haaalllllooo? We walked along a pathway called Gas Light Street, which was very Disney-like and American looking. A woman pushing a stroller. A couple other tourists. Again, so quiet! 

This street lead us to a shopping center called Mosaic. We strolled along the bottom level looking for lunch options, wondering where everyone was. It kind of freaked us out frankly. I wondered, Has there been a bomb scare? We haven't really experienced an empty Japan yet. Then we went upstairs, and people were shopping in American-looking boutiques. It was far more sedate and quiet than our experiences at Osaka and Kyoto, but at least there were people. We felt better.

We ate at a cute restaurant on the bottom level. I didn't catch the name, but it was fully decked out in Navajo finery. They had authentic rugs, dolls, and turquoise jewelry displayed... the works. Bizarre! I had a Mexican-style salad, served on a tortilla (but not really a tortilla), with lettuce, avocado, and tomato. It was delicious. Steve had "tacos" but there was no taco to be found on his plate...just a mound of rice with some taco seasoning, some chips, and a salad. Tasty though.

From there we walked along the waterfront towards the big orange Kobe port tower near the site of the earthquake memorial. It was windy but nice out, and we seemed to have the place to ourselves again as we made our way past the Maritime Museum.

The committee that organized the Great Hansai-Awaii Earthquake Memorial did a very unique and interesting thing:  they preserved a large chunk of the earthquake-damaged pier as a reminder. A newer construction walking area surrounds the destroyed chunk of seawall, with its devastated concrete and streetlights all helter skelter.  It was amazing to see, and put a lump in my throat. There are plaques with pictures describing the earthquake and the aftermath, all in Japanese and English. It had a positive and upbeat tone about how the citizens came together to overcome such devastation, and touched on the immense outpouring of aid from foreign countries.  It was an excellent memorial, and so very worthwhile. (Note that Fodor's seems to imply there is an actual museum, but we only found an outdoor display).

From there we wanted to visit a sake brewery, and headed off in the direction of a train station. We ended up walking through Chinatown, with many brightly colored shops and outdoor food vendors. It was way too orderly! There was none of the ruckus and smells of Chinatown in San Francisco or Chicago. 

From there we happened upon a covered shopping street with many high-end stores - aaaaah. This is more like the Japan we have come to know and love! Still, after the crowds of Osaka, things were relatively quiet.

We found a train and took it to the Sumiyoshi stop, which it where many sake breweries offer tours (and samples!). We were let off in a very industrial looking area, near a freeway. We could smell the sake, we could see the breweries, but it was all loading docks and chain link fence. We walked for blocks and blocks trying to find a touristy looking area for visits, but to no avail. Perhaps we were too late in the days for tours. Oh, well, it wasn't very much fun at all so we gave up and went home.

Back in Osaka, we decided to check out the Pig & Whistle English Pub as recommended by TB's reikunboy. (My own review is below). We walked there, and founds the streets of Osaka to be as jam-packed as ever. Odd that crowds like this are starting to feel "familiar" after less than two weeks here. I guess since we will be in Asia for quite some time, I guess it's a good thing we are getting accustomed to crowds. I hear there are a few people in Beijing :^)

This day started with us just jumping onto the JR train and only expecting a simple day trip to Kobe, but it turned out to be a strange day that I will never forget.  One of the first things I try to do when traveling, every morning, is to try to by an English language newspaper.  However Takatsuki, Osaka does not see many westerners so it was not possible at in the morning until I got to Kobe.  At the Kobe station I was able to find one and buy one and quickly read the headlines about an earthquake in the Indian Ocean but there were very few details as it had only occurred a few hours before printing time. Only later in the day would I discover the full scale of the disaster.

Ironically the reason we went to Kobe was to check the museum of the huge earthquake that had happened many years ago.  I was some what disappointed as the museum really was only a wharf that had fallen into the harbour and had been left alone over the years.  So after quickly viewing this display we decided to explore and walked towards a hilly part of the city that was known to be home to many westerners.  We found a nice large English style pub that had CNN on theTV and for the first time we saw photos of what was happening in several countries after the earthquake caused the huge tsunami.  Of course it took days and even weeks until we really knew all the damage that had happened but it was strange to only be a few hundred meters from a older disaster sight and see a new one on the TV.  It was also the day I decided I wanted to visit Thailand and more specifically the Phuket region (I will be there in April 2008).

Kobe was a nice city that I would have enjoyed if not for the world events.  After seeing the  news stories from all the effected regions it sort of but a damper on the day.  We did so some more exploring and found some interesting homes on very narrow and hilly streets but all I remember is seeing those tourist filmed shots of the tsunami coming up the Phuket beach and wiping out everything in it's path.

A viagem de volta foi novamente uma seca, e tivemos azar. Desta vez estamos 16 na camarata (homens e mulheres). No barco encontrámos uma colega nossa japonesa. Pudemos partilhar o táxi até à universidade. Não foi mau…

Dinner!!! Kobe beef in Kobe - I was so looking forward to this. The restaurant name is in japanese but i took a picture (looks like a christmas sign) - i had had kobe before in the U.S. but it is so different here. The authentic kobe (or wagyu) beef is so marbled, tender and flavorful ... mmm... some of the other travelers felt it was too rich and intense - I was more than happy to eat their share ... they also served the beef with fried garlic chips - quite a good complement in texture and taste. And yet, i was not done that evening. Our guide mentioned that we were going to Chinatown afterwards and there was more food to be had - so I managed to eat some beef dumplings and a bowl of rice noodle soup.  At this point, I was about to burst. We took a detour at the Mosaic Mall which was quite charming, but all I wanted was to lie down and massage my tummy. We stayed at the Hotel Okura Kobe - one of the best breakfast buffets - less variety, but everything was quite tasty especially the brioche bread and sugar snap peas (odd combination, i know).

Poor weather forced me to buy an umberalla and I was surprised at how little they cost and the number of people who seem to use them, even while riding bikes.  It was a nice surprise to see how organised everyone was and the fact that there were plastic bags or umberalla stands outside almost every building.

I caught an early train and enjoyed the scenery, travelling this sort of distance makes you realise just how built up this part of Japan is.  I spent the morning visiting the castle and surrounding gardens before wandering around the town once the weather had clearerd up.  On my way back to Kyoto I stopped at Osaka and had a drink and snack while watching the sunset from the top of the Umeda Sky Building.

Big castle.  Fabulous.  Worth the trip fer sure. If you go, for fucks sake, get the friggin free english guide.   You will not learn as many cool things if you go without the guide, and the guide is free, and Japanese people are so damn nice, why wouldn't you get the guide?  You just have to request a guide at the place where you pay, it's really quite simple.  The gardens around the castle are also very nice.  Himenji is not very far by train from Osaka, and plus you can stop by Kobe on the way back and see yet another huge well lit Japanese city.  Kobe was pretty cool, Matt and I only hung out there long enough to see about 100 aracades and then get a stellar meal.  Seriously tho, besides the castle being very cool to see, there is a lot of interesting history there, about generals killing each other and princesses and all kindsa stuff.  The interior of the castle is much more interesting than Osaka-jo, which was sorta just converted into a museum.  This castle had areas that were kept in the original state so you could get a feel for what was going on inside back in the day.  And the view from the top are fantastic.  You should really go to this castle if you are at all nearby, and once again, get the guide.  Cheers.

Last school year I was looking through a Japanese/English dictionary that my students were using and I saw a picture of an amazing castle. I asked Nagaosa Sensei where the castle was and she said it was in Himeji which was by Kyoto. Of course once Andrea and I started planning this trip I (in my spoiled brat way) said that we were going to Himeji to see the castle and she had no say in the matter. Luckily Andrea can deal with me in that mood and said “fine”.

So we took the train ride to Himeji during which time I took pictures of Andrea sleeping and send them to Jana via cell phone. After we got off the train we stopped at the tourist center, got a map, and walked up to the castle. Words cannot describe how beautiful the castle was. Granted I have never seen a castle in person before but dang, I am sure it beats those European ones. I could not stop smiling or taking pictures. It was my favorite part of the trip.

The castle is known as the best example of Japanese Castle architecture and wow, I really don’t have words to describe it. Does the term freak’n amazing work? I guess I will have to let the pictures speak for themselves.

After the castle Andrea and I went to see a reconstructed garden. I will admit to being in a pretty bad mood during this (ok, Andrea I was in a horrible mood) I simply couldn’t stop coughing and then it started raining off and on, and then I started coughing more. However, even in my bad mood, I was amazed with the garden and my favorite part was the bamboo garden.

Himeji is one of my favorite towns to visit in Japan because it has one of the best castles in Japan. Himeji-jo (jo means castle) is a stunning example of Japanese architecture. Visitors are allowed to walk through the castle but it is important to remember that the stairs are narrow and steep. I couldn't make it all the way up to the castle look out (I have a problem with heights) but my Aunt went up and she said there was a decent view of the city.

Himeji-jo is beautiful no matter the season and if you are lucky enough to be in Japan while the cherry blossoms are blooming then I would suggest taking a trip down to Himeji. It is a perfect day trip if you are staying in Kyoto.

Bon, aujourd'hui, je m'emmerde (on est le 19 en fait), alors ça se peut que je sois plus motivé pour écrire.  En plus, j'ai trouvé comment changer le clavier en français!

La journee l'abus de ma passe de train a commencé relativement tôt, si on tient compte que je me suis couché à 2h du matin.  On a finalement compris que le couvre-feu, et bien c'est plus un concept qu'une loi.  Si tu fais de la merde et du bruit, et bien ils vont l'appliquer.  Disons qu'ils veulent juste que toutes les lumières soient fermées et qu'on laisse une change aux personnes antisociales de dormir.  Donc, je disais que j'ai décidé d'abuser un peu de ma passe de train, et ce en faisant un petit 800 km durant la journée.  Bon, grâce au shinkansen, ça a juste fait 4h de voyagement, donc c'est pas si pire.  Vitesse de pointe, 285 km/h.  En passant, un petit erratum, les shinkansen ne sont pas des trains magnétiques.  Je ne sais pas pourquoi je pensais ça.  En fait, c'est que les japo sont en train de perfectionner la technologie pour pouvoir l'utiliser, et ils ont une piste où ils ont monté un train à 550 km/h.  Fin de la parenthèse.

Première destination, Himeji.  Lieu du plus beau chateau médiéval du Japon, selon les experts.  Bon, faudrait que je les vois tous pour juger, mais disons qu'il a une longueur d'avance.  je ne vais même pas essayer de le décrire, regarder plutôt la photo.  Ce qu'on ne voit pas par contre, c'est que le château est situé sur un petite coline qui domine la ville et la région, ce qui fait encore plus impressionnant quand on arrive.  Bon, il ne m'est pas arrivé grand chose d'intéressant là-bas, sauf que je me suis fait fourrer en achetant le billet d'entrée à 600 yens (bon, juste 6$, mais c'est le principe qui fait chier) alors qu'on ne voyait pas grand chose de plus à l'intérieur.  Ah oui, j'ai évidemment encore faillu manqué un train.  En passant, il fait puissament chaud au Japon.  C'est la saison des pluies, mais en ce moment, il fait soleil.  Donc avec l'humidité, ça craint.  Et bizarement, les Japonais ne suent pas...

Ah oui, la veille, je suis allé goûter de l'unagi (anguille) avec Joyce.  (H, je vais te devancer en te répondant que non, je ne lui ai pas fait goûté mon anguille...) C'était excellent.  Et ça goûte à peine le poisson.  Et on a vu une geisha.  Je lui ai même pris la fesse (à la geisha).  Avec respect bien sûr.

Mot de la fin:  (âmes sensibles, arrêter de lire maintenant)  Déféquer a 285 km/h, c'est vraiment d'un autre monde...  (je vous avais prévenu!)

It's one of the most beautiful castle I've ever seen.