I bought the one day regional train pass because it would cost me about 1200 yen to get from Kobe to Nara (my next destination), but as I also wanted to see Himeji (which was in the other direction and costs over 900 yen each way), the 2300 yen pass would be well worth the savings. In order to maximize the value of my one day traveling bonanza, I made sure I was on the train to Himeji in time for the 9am opening of the castle.
Himeji castle is probably the most famous castle in Japan and for good reason. It is impressive, reaching up to heaven from its perch on a hill like a Japanese version of Neuschwanstein. Appropriately enough it is nicknamed the “White Egret Castle.” The entrance ticket is a little pricey, but it takes a good 60-90 minutes to complete one circuit of the castle and its grounds. The only downside was the regular announcement over the loud speakers that the day’s weather was going to be excessively hot. It was good I got there just as it opened because tour and school groups were flooding in on my way out.
I sprung the extra 40 yen for the combo ticket including the next door garden. I was a little suspicious because the photos were rather lackluster, but the surprisingly large garden won me over by its charms. It was constructed as a collection of 12 distinct walled gardens, each perfectly crafted to highlight some theme be it pine, bamboo, or flowers.
After touring the garden, I decided to take a stroll along the moat of the castle to do a loop around the outside. It was good, though the “viewpoints” along the route (as marked by tourist maps) were unimpressive. I cut through the shopping arcade to get out of the sun on my walk back to the train station.
As I had the unlimited train pass, I decided to make a quick stop 3/4 of the way back to Kobe to get a good look at the Akashi bridge, which is something like Japan’s version of the Golden Gate Bridge. There is a seaside park with good views, but I didn’t feel like shelling out the cash to go up the the Maiko Marine Promenade, which is a viewing platform inside the bridge. I also passed on the Sun-yat Sen Memorial House which was a little pricey considering it was probably only in Japanese, and the house (a 100 year old building) only had a tenuous connection to the father of modern China.
I hopped back on the train to return to Kobe and returned to the hostel to grab my stuff. I took a minute to change into shorts because it was way to hot. I hopped on a train to Osaka, where I transferred to a direct train to Nara. It sucked how crowded the train was, which meant I was stuck standing in the doorway with all my luggage for the 45 minute ride. On the plus side, I was standing right behind the glass-windowed driver’s compartment, which allowed me to observe up close how to drive a train.
My hostel in Nara was literally right next to the train station and I rocked up at a perfect time to check-in. It’s a pretty good (and cheap) place to stay with a bar on the bottom floor, daily happy hour with a free drink, and decently sized dorm room that still manages to fit in a lot of capsule-style bunks. I crashed in the common room, but didn’t really have the energy to do anything, other than wait around until the 6pm cheers.
I popped over to a supermarket to pick up some salad for dinner (part 1) and socialized during the happy hour, only slipping away for ten minutes to scarf down the salad. Afterwards, on advice from one of the hostel staff, I went to a restaurant for oden, which is the general term for the boiled fish cakes (though I got a wide selection of tofu and radish and whatnot). The bar was still swinging when I got back, and I socialized a bit more. None of the Western backpackers had eaten dinner yet though it was maybe 8:30 by that point. I recommended an izakaya around the corner that looked like it had a big menu but didn’t join them as I had already eaten.
I plopped down at the bar to review a bit of Japanese, but got into a conversation with a fellow from Hong Kong. He was the second person from Hong Kong I’ve met in Japan and both of them were both absolutely floored that I could speak Chinese and was working on Japanese.
It kind of sucks to not be drinking (especially with the prospect of free and discounted alcohol), but I really want to keep the dry streak going a little bit longer.
| Himeji Castle and Kokoen | 1040 |
| Hostel (3 nights) | 275 (RMB) |
| Salad | 254 |
| Oden | 1400 |
| Total: | 447.4 RMB (USD 65.56) |
Running Total: 31719.6 RMB (USD 4648.2)
Daily Average: 308 RMB (USD 45.13)