Himeji has always been one of my favorite castles in Japan. It was the first one I visited on my first trip to Japan in 2002, and my first UNESCO World heritage Site. And with it being one of the largest, mostly in-tact castles in Japan, it leaves such a visual impression on one's memory that is hard to beat at more modernized castles (lookin' at you' Osaka Castle).


Built in the early 1300s, Himeji Castle is one of the best examples of traditional Japanese castle architecture. It's also been rebuilt several times, survived a city bombing during WWII, and survived the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995, so you can see why it's so revered in castle circles.

Access

68 Honmachi, Himeji-shi, Hyōgo-ken 670-0012
Official Website (ENG)
Hours of Operation: 
9:00 AM to 4:00 PM (5:00PM in Summer)
Entrance Fee
18 yrs and Up: 1,000 yen
Elem. to High School: 400 yen
Preschool and Younger: FREE


Himeji Castle is accessible by bus, train or car; a parking lot and bus stop are located right by the entrance of the castle complex. The JR/Sanyo Dentetsu stop for Himeji Castle is Himeji Station, but it will be a 15-minute walk from here. Board the bus if you want to save yourself some walking time.

The Castle

The park area surrounding Himeji castle is quite smaller than Osaka Castle as some of the moats have been filled in, but the paths leading up to the main keep often turn back on themselves, making it quite the task. The park is also filled with hundreds of cherry blossom trees, making is quite the tourist spot in Spring.


We didn't get to Himeji until late into the afternoon, so we skipped the tour of Nishi-no-maru (West Bailey), and headed straight to the main keep.

The number of visitors pouring into and out of the castle was quite impressive, especially for a castle pretty set apart from other popular Kansai sites and cities. I have to admit, though, that I longed for the relative privacy I felt while in the castle during our trip in 2002.

A scale model of the castle from the feudal era.

A few rooms near the staircase were kept in-tact to show their purpose while the castle was still in use, but most of the castle is empty. You do get great views of the city surrounding the castle.

The walk through the main keep is pretty quick, so I would go there first, then spend the rest of your time slowly wandering around the castle compound since that is where the best photo opportunities will probably be. Be sure to plan for the rest of your day in Himeji City as well. The castle is beautiful, but the visit won't take more than a couple hours to see everything. Himeji City's tourism website has some great suggestions on other things to do in the area.

Multi-lingual pamphlets are available near the entrance, and there's also an augmented reality app that you can download and use around the castle. And if you're interested in a mini-tour, please check out my YouTube channel for video of the castle and more!


As always, if you have any questions, comments or concerns, feel free to leave them below!

★Peaces★

For the discerning winter sports fanatic, Japan does not disappoint.

So a couple weekends back, some friends and I decided that snowboarding was a thing we definitely wanted to do this winter. Thankfully, our group senpai is a big snowboarder and was totally up to the idea of taking us newbies out to the mountains for a little trial and error.

Cupid Valley Ski Resort

Access

Official Website (ENG)
Address: 4820 Yasuzukaku Sugawa, Jōetsu-shi, Niigata-ken 942-0534

This ski resort is accessible by car, but there is also a shuttle bus that runs between the ski resort and Mushigawa-Osugi Station. Mushigwa-Osugi Station is about 5.5hrs from Osaka Station, and this route makes use of the Shinkansen line. I'm sure travel by local/rapid lines is possible, but you'll probably need closer to 9 hours to get there. One route takes you to Niigata via Tokyo (this route is about 200USD), while the cheaper route (about 120 USD) along the Sea of Japan takes you through the new Kanazawa Shinkansen station.

The Ski Resort

The onsen building! It looks farther than it actually is.

This resort has everything you need for a weekend on the snow. Equipment, as well as snow wear, is available for rental at the main building. You can event switch from skis to a snowboard for free for the folks interested in trying both. You're also welcome to bring and use your own equipment.

Senpai showing us how to not fail at everything.

There are several courses available varying from beginner to advanced, all of which go all the way to the top of the mountain. Lift tickets must be purchased to ride to the top of the mountain, but if you stay at the hotel, you can get at least 1 set for your group at a discounted rate. For regulars, they also have season passes available. The basic daily rates for the lift are as follows:

• Adults: 4,300 yen
• Middle school and up: 3,500 yen
• Elementary school: 2,500 yen

Plans that include entry to the resort onsen are also available for purchase!


Night-time plans are also available but if you're a newbie, like us, I would not recommend this as the snow is much harder and not friendly to your limbs. A separate night-time lift ticket is also necessary and I believe this lift only takes you to the top of the promenade.

The Stay

The rooms are divided into log cabins supposedly imported from Canada (this is the kind of information they have written on the site, I couldn't make it up if I wanted to). One large cabin has 3 separate rooms, all with 3 floors, a toilet and bathtub, and each room can fit up to 7 people.


Our stay included dinner and breakfast, both of which were delicious. They served a combination of Western and Eastern food, so you could get sushi, lo mein and roast beef. This is great when you're traveling in a group with a variety of preferences (I wouldn't call the buffet vegetarian-friendly though).

Things to Note

• There are shuttle buses available to take you from the main lodge to the log cabins and onsen. You don't have to use the shuttle bus, the distance isn't that far, however the streets are narrow and can be a bit icy, so it would be safer to ride the shutter when possible.
• There is a drying space near the entrance of the log cabin rooms for all of your gear; they event have a drier for the snow boots.
• This resort is TATTOO FRIENDLY, so no worries here (and yes, there are still hotels that will not allow guests will tattoos, even small ones, into their pools/onsen).
• Hotel guests can purchase their lift tickets from the hotel desk (you don't have to wait in the lift ticket office line).
• The closest convenience store is 30 minutes down the mountain, so try to bring everything you need for your trip.
• The onsen closes early (around 9pm I believe), so watch the time if you're doing dinner and onsen.
• You can rent everything you need for snowboarding at the lodge

As always, questions, comments and concerns are welcome below! I also have a video available of our trip, if you're interested!