Himeji castle

As a cooler day was expected and Himeji Castle is romanticised as the "White Heron Castle," we chose somewhat formal and warm clothing.

We managed to try a new train line, this time heading west of Osaka. It was a clear day outside and there was a lingering breeze.

It was a two-hour train ride to Himeji. We only had to change train once. Passing through Kobe, my sister and I fantasised about eating some Kobe beef there someday. It was a quiet trip, and we did not notice any other tourists taking this route (usually they will take the 30 minute JR service instead), and so we felt like we are part of the locals.

Upon arriving at Sanyo-Himeji station, we crossed the street and in the distance there stood the White Egret Castle, another moniker for this landmark. We entered the Ekimae Flower Road (a shopping centre) and followed the signs towards the World Heritage Site.

The mall had an open plan design and high ceilings with a central strip of skylighting. It was energy efficient architecture at its best. Plenty of shops and cafés with a very relaxed vibe. At Dotour, we enjoyed our afternoon tea of matcha and sandwiches and calzones.

When we exited the open mall, we were greeted by gingko trees bursting with yellow leaves. The main street leading to the white castle was lined by these majestic trees. Also, we noticed the sun was at the perfect angle, striking the pristine, ivory coloured structure, making it a perfect subject for photography.

When we entered the grounds, we further appreciated the castle's grandeur. We chose to pose for our family portrait next to a gingko tree in full autumnal mode. This was was also selected as a backdrop for a local high school's class picture and many more tourists did the same thing. However, there were not nearly as much tourists as there were in Fushimi-Inari or Ninenzaka.

My sister and Dad continued on to tour the paid section of the castle grounds that would also allow them to inspect and tour the six floors of the Himeji Castle. Apparently, everything inside was made of wood, and fully preserved. They were asked to leave their shoes upon entering so as not to tarnish the flooring, Dad observed a miasma akin to damp rags engulfing their nostrils. My sister observed some young Japanese males appreciating the racks where weapons had been kept many many years ago.

Meanwhile, Mom and I went on to visit Kokoen Gardens. Between history and beauty, we chose the latter to make full use of the waning sunlight. The array of colours were spectacular and, as expected, mom squealed with elation as we wandered the gardens. It was maintained in top condition.

We took photos to our hearts' content during the golden hour, and not long after, there was a professional photo-shoot near the koi pond. Dad and Sis managed to arrive just in time for the last intake of visitors - there had been so much to see in and around the castle grounds. They were excited to tell us all about what they found and what had piqued their interests.

It was well and truly twilight as we made our way back to the train station. We passed by Isomaru Suisan Himeji Miyukidori, and Mom saw the grilled fish by their doorway, and the decision was made. Dad had some tuna sashimi with rice, my sister had some fried mackerel, and I had some pasta with cream sauce and roe eggs. For beverages, my sister had the Mikabi Mikan sour and I had some Pineapple sour to complement our meals.

Because Sanyo-Himeji was the terminal station, we were able to comfortably select our seats for our trip back to Osaka. Two hours and forty minutes went by quickly. Unfortunately the train did not stop at Sakuragawa, so we had to take a different train back to our station. It had been such a very nice day that this did not faze us.Read more