Deep Heritage Acquaintance in Himeji

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Castles have been an unforgettable landmark to almost every kid that roams the planet. We have all thought of castles as the place inhabited by only the affluent and entering or even looking at a castle has been a far-fetched dream for everyone in back of their minds.

We also have this stereotype that castles can only be found in monarchial places like the United Kingdom, but Japan’s very own Himeji definitely proves otherwise.

Situated near the bustling city of Koko-En, Himeji is a land of warm accommodations, impressive architecture and castles that are older than your great grandmother.

Location

Himeji is a city located in the Hyōgo Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. The total land area is 534.43 square kilometers (206.34 square miles).

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Himeji’s coordinates are at 34°50’N, 134°39’E. It is also 40 meters or 130 feet above sea level.

Climate

Despite Japan’s cool and snowy weather conditions, Himeji is under the warm forest biome classification. This type of weather means that annually, Himeji has mild and generic weather conditions, with no dry season and experiences moist, year-long rain.

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As usual, summers in Himeji would give you the hot sunny days with occasional thunderstorms, while winters would give tourists and inhabitants a milder type of precipitation. Changes in season are rather moderate due to the city’s location.

Transportation

Himeji is connected to other parts of Japan and nearby cities via the Sanyo Shinkansen or JR Tokaido link of the railway system. From Kyoto, it will take travelers an estimated 45 minutes to get to the city’s center by train. On the other hand, if you take the Hikari route, allot a 55-minute timeframe. With a whopping 45-minute train ride from Kyoto, you can set foot on a new landscape from the hustles of the city which is Himeji.

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Himeji is also catered by a compressed bus network that is provided by Shinki Bus. Its chief bus terminal is located just across the street from JR Himeji Station. Shinki Bus number 8 provides easy access to Mount Shosha. Icoca, Pitapa and the local Nicopa prepaid IC cards can be used to pay the fare on Shinki buses. However, do note that other IC cards such as Suica or Pasmo cannot be used.

What to See

Himeji-jo

Talking about castles, a Japanese local would definitely bring Himeji-jo into the conversation. This towering castle of wonder has been one of the remaining castles to have retained its original state from the time it was built.

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It’s been coined as the White Egret Castle, which comes from its illuminating, immaculate white exterior and the heavenly placing of the said castle atop a hill.

Koko-en

Though renovated for better looks and preservation, Koko-en is a former samurai residence that has been a gem in Himeji, kept hidden for quite some time now. This Edo Period castle is home to numerous sights like gardens which are manicured only by well-trained landscape artists, relaxing waterfalls, huge koi ponds, trees shaped and pruned to perfection, towering clumps of bamboo shoots, arranged shrubbery and a wisteria-covered harbor.

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Given its impeccable structure due to continuous care, Koko-en has been a venue for a lot of Japanese movies and drama series. This temple is a great way to cap off a Himeji visit if visited in spring or autumn.

Hyogo Prefectural Museum of History

Visit this well-manicured edifice and experience the different eras of Japanese history through dioramas, glass-enclosed artifacts and huge wall mounted paintings.

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Don’t fret about being unfamiliar with the Japanese language as inscriptions and accompaniments in English are set to clarify misunderstandings.

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Images:
(1) https://littlemissadventuress.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/2009-08-26-himeji-72.jpg
(2) http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfophoto/japan-best/scan.jpg
(3) https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZYqFwxuqh3SfEJmNgGlYx9mODumae-C4OdA6vZB5T5B281S41lu1wUCd-ELsJAX0WNwtyvIRyu3v910aF3uEZBk5BkQQG6sSBYzmD4vAjqSMZCNG12ICNPWb-tZjXcKwXNTD7GlNYFA/s1600/DSCN6009.JPG
(4) https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0upICWTeqHsLyxCM2egZ7w4lwah5bLdaSO3qvqa_Wgg9X21hu1kGA5OQGbUGb2-toF1YC6Hd8HBoYLNdBEdN5zhnSLWaJTlyOlvJLvSM69dO7dboFTyi1hfZXjEYCDhMCR5e3xWYgiJc/s1600/Osaka+Day+1%252B2+3.jpg
(5) http://arounddeglobe.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Himeji-Castle.jpg
6) https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgviZBKK25d7KPz6L3vYUSevEqBwetQQdP-hp69g4Ccc9eblrcOJUFtD8m7HB5-qyMVKqDG5MinBL0TTC86CLrpeYCKJPCTNXf8J7FhEeFXaT8UXRRfHMyKzGu2Q086ZGVzz-9ZZ0ENQQ/s1600/DSCN5736.JPG
(7) https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/Hyogo_Prefectural_Museum_of_History01s3872.jpg