Himeji, home to half a million people, is often a day trip or a stopover between Kyoto (or Osaka or Kobe) and Hiroshima. Himeji is most famous for its wooden castle (covering over 350 acres) which is widely considered to be Japan’s best and most beautiful surviving feudal castle. Also known as White Heron Castle (Shirasagijo) or White Egret Castle (Hakurojo). For nearly 700 years, the castle has survived war, earthquake, or fire. It even survived the World War II…
Okayama (often called the “Land of Sunshine”) is a major transportation hub where the Shinkansen connects with they only train connection to the island of Shikoku. Its climate is warm enough throughout the year to grow olive trees. The major attractions include Okayama Castle and Korakuen. Okayama Castle: Constructed in 1597 and destroyed by bombing in World War II; it was reconstructed in 1966. Korakuen: one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan. Built in 1700 and reached its modern form in 1863….
From Hiroshima, we did a side trip to Onomichi (about an hour train ride, using a combination of Shinkansen and local train, with a transfer at Fukuyama); this town is best known for the start or end point of the Shimanami Kaido Bike Path (over 70 km biking route with 7 bridges across 6 islands on the Seto Inland Sea between the main islands of Shikoku and Honshu). Surprisingly, a day trip isn’t enough. We managed to see only a…
There is more to Hiroshima than its tragic war history. With seven rivers, there are many riverside walks and bridges to discover. We also enjoy walking through the neighborhood alleys and observing the daily activities of the local people. For us, it is not just the attractions but also the slice of life (for example, grocery shopping in a neighborhood green grocer or eating in a small mom-and-pop cafe where we are often the only foreign visitors) that leaves lasting…