It's common to do side trips from Kyoto/Osaka and Himeji is one of the popular places. The tip is to obtain the One-day Kansai Pass, which costs 2200 yen. Check here for different kinds of Kansai Pass available for foreigners, basically they are just indicated for different number of days. However, we find it unnecessary to obtain a multiple-day pass because travelling to Nara, another popular destination will only cost at most 1500 yen for round trip, which is far less than the average cost per day to get a Kansai Pass. Remember to plan wisely because you are only allowed to purchase the pass once per visit!
The pass will allow you to take unlimited rides with JR-operated trains and buses, excluding shinkansen. Thus you can still use it in the city after your day trips. The norm is to combine Himeji with Kobe in one day. I think you should be familiar with the term "Kobe beef", the highest ranked Wagyu beef, haha. If you are a big fan of beef, then you should really visit Kobe for good food. One of us does not eat beef, so we decided to skip Kobe.
Himeji Castle
Transport - JR train to Himeji Station, walk for 15 to 20 mins
Opening Hours - Daily 9am to 5pm except December 29 and 30 (admission closed one hour before closing time)
Entrance Ticket - 1000 yen
You will spot the castle once you step out of the station. Just walk towards the direction for 15 to 20 mins, it's impossible to get wrong!
We came on Sunday and there was a special event going on, how lucky! It's like carnival with a lot of game booths and dressed up avatars for free photos. A lot of parents brought their kids here to have fun.
We were very lucky to meet the volunteer tour guide at the castle entrance. He was holding a board, stating "Free English Tour Guide". This caught our attention immediately and we approached the man without hesitation. Ta ta, that's how we got the free guided tour in Himeji Castle. He spoke good English and explained everything clearly. We felt blessed to have him here and we got to understand the history and the structures of the castle better. There are a lot of traps designed to trick the enemy, I have to say that Japanese are really smart! According to tour guide uncle, Himeji Castle had never been attacked so the use and effectiveness of such traps was just theory-based.
West Castle, which is a long corridor leading to the castle. It's used to be the living place of Princess Sen. Come here and find out the tragic life stories of Princess Sen.
Cherry tree. I was cheated by our tour guide uncle, LOL. He plucked the cherries and told us that these tasted really sweet. Being an innocent girl, I tried and ...... yucks, so bitter!
Spot the Christian Cross!
The protector of the castle. From my understanding, it's meant to protect the castle from fire because the major material used to build the castle is wood.
Look at the main castle, is it symmetrical? Answer will be revealed at the end of the post.
Can you see the face?
Time for lunch before leaving Himeji. This noodles shop was recommended by our tour guide when we asked him about cheap food in the area. The shop is located on the main street connecting Himeji Station and the castle. Ekisoba means the combination of soba noodles and clear udon soup. Really cheap, one bowl costs less than 500 yen. Taste wise, I think so so only.
Probably the portion of the noodles was small, we didn't really feel full. When we walked past this waffle shop, we just couldn't resist ourselves and rushed in to buy the waffles. They looked so freaking delicious. The shop is known as Manneken Belgium Waffles. I believe that there are a lot of branches around Japan. We each picked a flavour, haha, so we got to try 4 flavours in total.
From left to right - chocolate custard, chocolate, maple and green tea.
Before I end the post, let's reveal the answer! It is .... NOT SYMMETRICAL! Look closer at the roof and the windows, then you will know why, haha! See you in Nara next!
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