Day 11 - Travelogue - Seeing Himeji Castle, the Most Beautiful One in Japan, and the Umeda Sky Building

May 26, 2023

Day 11 - Travelogue - Seeing Himeji Castle, the Most Beautiful One in Japan, and the Umeda Sky Building

Back to Day 10 - Osaka - Seeing Osaka Castle, Pokemon Center, and Dotonbori

I was really looking forward to my visit to Himeji Castle. I had never visited a large Japanese castle that was intact. On previous trips I had been to the east gardens of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo which has no keep, but does have impressive fortifications in terms of walls and moats. On this trip I saw the massive fortifications of Osaka castle and the replica keep there that has an authentic facade, but is actually a modern reinforced concrete structure. Himeji is a gorgeous castle from everything I heard and it is well preserved. The keep even has modern fire sprinkler installed inside which is a good idea as most of these keeps burned down at some point because of their wooden construction.

My morning started off with the hotel's breakfast buffet. It was decent enough and I got my veggies, eggs, and protein to kick off my day. I took the subway over to New Osaka Station to catch the bullet train to Himeji. Buying my Japan Rail Pass from the main site allowed me to pre-book my train ride via the web, something you cannot do any other way. It was easy to get to Himeji in an hour by shinkansen.

Breakfast. There's also miso soup and coffee.

My bullet train.

A river crossing on the way to Himeji

Himeji Castle, also known as the White Heron Castle, is a stunning Japanese castle located in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture. It is considered one of the most beautiful castles in Japan and often used as a backdrop for samurai dramas. After having visiting it, I have to agree that it is a gorgeous castle and the white central keep is stunning. From the station, you can see the castle, but it is a bit of a walk. I caught a bus there, but overshot my main stop, getting off one stop later. This allowed me to take some different shots of the castle as I walked back.

Shot from a park to the SE of the castle on my way to the front entrance.

The castle was originally built in the 14th century, but it was extensively renovated and expanded in the 16th century by the famous samurai warrior Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The castle was further enhanced in the early 17th century by Ikeda Terumasa, a powerful feudal lord who was appointed governor of Himeji.

Himeji Castle's beauty lies in its striking white appearance and its intricate architectural design. The castle's main tower, which stands at five stories high, is surrounded by smaller towers and turrets, all of which are connected by a series of winding paths and gates. The castle's white exterior is due to the use of a special plaster that is mixed with crushed seashells, which gives it a unique and striking appearance.

But Himeji Castle's beauty is not just skin deep; it is also a fortress of impressive defences. The castle's design includes various features that were meant to protect it from enemy attacks. For example, the castle has a complex network of gates, walls, and moats that were designed to slow down and impede any invaders.

One of the most impressive defenses of the castle is its maze-like layout, which was designed to confuse and disorient attackers. The castle's narrow corridors and hidden rooms were also used to ambush and trap enemies. Himeji Castle's defenders could shoot arrows or throw rocks from hidden openings, providing a significant tactical advantage.

Another impressive feature of the castle's defenses is its strategic use of natural terrain. The castle is built on a hill, and the surrounding terrain is uneven, with steep cliffs and ravines. This made it difficult for attackers to approach the castle, and it also gave the defenders a clear view of the surrounding area, allowing them to spot incoming enemies from a distance.

Front gate to the castle is over this bridge that crosses the moat.

Bridge over the moat with the front gate in the background.

The keep overlooks a vast open area that is used for concerts and events. Maybe it was a parade ground, training area before?

Today, Himeji Castle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a popular tourist destination. Visitors can explore many of the castle's rooms and halls, and enjoy the stunning views from the top of the castle's main tower. The castle also hosts a variety of cultural events and activities throughout the year, including traditional Japanese festivals and performances.

Map of the castle grounds.

The main gatehouse for the inner wall.

The keep is built on a hill. It is quite a large complex and you only get to walk through the main building that is the tallest part.

Another inner gate.

Some of the impressive stonework done without mortar.

The main keep entrance. You can only go to the right.

Inside the main keep, you are supposed to put on slippers and take you shoes off. You have to carry your shoes around. I hooked mine onto my day pack with a carabiner. They provide plastic bags for this, but it is a nuisance.

The well trodden halls of the keep. Lots of wood construction.

A display. There were a few displays and each floor had a station to describe it and its function.

Stairway between floors.

The top floor with some nice views of the area around it.

View out the window.

Castle grounds.

Dragon carp end cap decoration.

The interior of the castle was quite cool in December. The wooden hallways were pretty quite as no one was wearing shoes. The climb up the five stories didn't seem all that bad either. It was quite roomy, but you could imagine it would be cramped and smokey from lanterns with it was filled with medieval soldiers. Some floors must have been living quarters, armouries, storage areas. Living quarters would be at the top. I don't think any cooking was done in the keep itself (fire hazard) and food had to be brought in from one of the adjoining structures.

Front view of the castle from the inner courtyard at the top.

An angled picture from the inner courtyard. You can see that there are multiple adjoining buildings. These buildings were separated by thick iron-bound wooden doors.

I was able to walk through the keep and absorb the atmosphere of the place as there were very few tourists on a weekday in December. You could really see the structure of the building and see the wood work that went into the place, but there were very few furnishings to give you an idea about what the place would have been like when it was in use. It was still a very cool experience though and you walk through some museum type displays at the end on your way out.

The outer moat.

After touring around the castle, I sat on a bench in the large event area out front and had a simple lunch of convenience store sandwich and a juice box. I then had some time to see the beautiful Koko-en Gardens next to the castle before I headed back to Osaka. There was plenty of autumn foliage in full colour at the gardens. You could tell the weather here had been warmer than in the other places I had been. There was a large koi pond here and many different kinds of gardens, including traditional Japanese ones. These gardens were recently built in the 1990s.

Koko-en Gardens.

Red maple leaves.

Brilliant fall foliage.

A water fall.

The large pond.

More fall foliage.

All too soon, it was time to head back to the station to catch a train back. The buses in Himeji were not well marked. I ended up asking bus drivers if they went to the station.

View of the Umeda Sky Building from the shinkansen.

Back in Osaka I went to the Umeda Sky Building next for the views of the city from it. I was surprised that the closest station to it was some distance from the building. I took the subway to Osaka Station and from there, you walk a little over ten minutes to get there. There is a great deal of construction going on around the building too! Lots of new development. Osaka Station is also a bit of a maze and I had to ask for directions to get to the building from the NW / West side of the station.

Cool looking Starbucks on the way there.

The Umeda Sky building doesn't look too different from some angles.

From the front / back, you realize it is two connected buildings, with a big viewing platform at the top!

Cool sci-fi escalator to the viewing deck.

The viewing deck is hollow in the middle with plenty of glass all around.

On a rainy / windy day, it would be way nicer to stay indoors!

Some amazing views of the city. You can see that Osaka has many rivers running through it along with many bridges over them.

I was getting hungry by now as it was dinner time. I had a plan to have okonimiyaki at a recommended restaurant in the basement restaurant floor under the building, but the restaurant was closed when I was there! The restaurant floor was quite cool with a retro - nostaligic vibe to it.

3 wheeler cargo truck.

Retro street facades in the restaurant floor.

More retro streets.

Anyhow, I ended up having okonomiyaki on the way back to the train station at a dining floor in a mall near the station. I asked the server there for a local specialty and she recommended a local dish with beef brisket? It was tasty, but I was surprised it came dry, as in no mayo or okonomiyaki sauce.

Lots of cabbage and meat in this, but I should have taken a picture of the menu as I'm not sure what it was called. One of my less successful meals.

After dinner I wandered the malls connected to Osaka Station. There was another Daimaru there with yet another Pokemon Center! I also got to see a whole pile of large size Doraemon statues too.