Himeji

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.