Day 2 - May 28, 2006: Himeji
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Time to check out of Hotel Ichiei so we got into the the hotel yukatas - kimonos worn in summer - for a
quick picture and off we went to Himeji to see the white castle.
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On the way there, we saw the Akashi Kaikyo bridge - the longest suspension bridge in the world - out of the
left side windows.
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At a flower shop in Himeji.
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See Ming was excited to find the orange begonias from our wedding bouquet.
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Uh oh. There was a big flea market just across the road from the Himeji castle entrance, which means it's time
for a shopping detour. I hope we make it pass the castle gates by nightfall. (note for shoppers- the Himeji flea market is held at
Otenmae Park every 2nd and 4th sunday of the month from 10am-3pm).
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On the grounds just inside the main castle gates, some families were having a picnic.
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The entrance to the castle proper. Much of the castle will look vaguely familiar if you've watched Akira Kurosawa's
Ran. As Japan's most respected director, he obtained rare permission to film at Himeji as well as Kumamoto castle.
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A bonzai garden just inside the smaller gates.
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Himeji Castle is sometimes called "Shirashagijo" or white heron castle because it is said it looks like a white
heron about to take wing. I've looked at it from every angle and I don't see how it looks like a big bird.
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The buildings look like stone and plaster from the outside but inside, they are all wood. This is inside the
Western Bailey.
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The Western Bailey was mainly the home of ladies-in-waiting.
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We had to take our shoes off and put them into plastic bags before entering the Western Bailey or any other part
of the castle. As we exited the halls, we returned the plastic bags and we noticed some castle staff
straightening out the plastic bags to be reused.
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Some stone coffins were used in the constructions of the castle walls.
Nothing is mentioned about their contents.
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If you were an attacker peering up into the main tower like this, you should be able to see arrows and stones
raining down through the little slits and windows.
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This mock-up of the Himeji city shows the castle hemmed in by the sea on one side and suburbia on all others.
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See Ming was getting hungry and bored, so we left the castle and found lunch back on the main street at this cheap
food joint.
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Inside was this nice lady who cooked up some udon and soba for us and this friendly gentlemen who tried to strike up
a conversation with us even though we hardly understood one another through the phrasebook and hand gestures.
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In the afternoon, we had a walk through the Koko-en gardens next to the castle.
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We ended the day back at Izayasu Ryokan in Kyoto and they served us this nice feast in our room.
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More pics taken throughout the day...
