Japan: Day 17 — Himeji and Osaka ...

The amazing Himeji Castle

I awoke to OK weather so I decided to make the trip out to the Himeji Castle. This is said to be one the best castles in Japan. It opened at 9am and was two hours away by train from Osaka.

Finding my way there was fairly easy. I arrived at 8:30am and noticed hoards of people also making their way to the castle entrance. It’s a one-kilometer walk from the train station and the castle is in clear view. With each passing step, I could feel my excitement rising!

I got to the gates just as they were opening. I bought a ticket (¥1000 + ¥40 for the gardens) and went inside. The path leads you through the gates and into the castle. Himeji has wonderful old wooden floors. You must remove your shoes before entering. The floors were perfect for sliding around on! Good fun!

The inside of the castle was packed and it felt like we were being herded through which took away from the experience. I felt myself rushing through the castle, mostly to escape the crowds and the noise. After the indoor tour, the path takes you outside beside the castle. What a sight it was! It is massive! I sat on a nearby bench for a while just staring in awe. It was even better than I had imagined and definitely a highlight of the trip.

The Kokoen Gardens in Himeji

After staring in awe for ages, I made my way to the Kokoen Garden that belonged to the castle. The gardens were absolutely stunning! Best gardens I saw during my time in Japan. Those gardens will be forever etched in my mind!

After my tour of the gardens, my tummy was grumbling. There was a sign for gourmet food under the train station so I went in search of something to eat. It was at B1 level and the floor offered plenty of ready-made food. It was hard to choose something with all the choices, but I settled on some fresh sushi rolls. I got a sashimi tuna roll and a cucumber roll. They cost next to nothing and were ridiculously good and fresh!

I got back to the apartment around 2pm. I wanted to rest but I had four or five things on my to-do list with only one full day left in Osaka. It seemed I didn't give myself enough time for this stop!

The tallest skyscraper in Japan, the Abeno Harukas

I set off at 4pm making my way to the tallest skyscraper in Japan, the Abeno Harukas. It was only ten minutes away by train. It's a magnificent structure in the heart of the city center. It cost ¥1700 to go to the observatory at 288m. The views were stunning as was the design. Can you say eye candy?! The bathrooms were awesome and to think I almost left without visiting them.

After the Abeno Harukas, I walked over to an area called Shinsekai. There were people everywhere! The place had big lit signs, lots of cheap places to eat and a huge casino where people were gambling. It was an interesting area and I wandered around for some time enjoying the signs and the fake food displays that Japan is famous for.

This area is known for their kushikatsu, which is basically breaded and fried food on a stick! You could order just about anything on a skewer starting at ¥100/stick. I grabbed a cold beer and tried the onion and Chinese yam on sticks. I also ordered some udon noodles. The kushikatsu was delicious!

After dinner, I wandered around. The signs were lit, the place was loud and it was packed with people. It became a bit much so I left the area and walked back to the apartment. I relaxed for the rest of the night and went to bed early a bit unsure of what to do in the morning. The day was calling for rain, again!