Himeji

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Himeji (??) is a small city at the western edge of the Kansai region of Japan with Japan's finest castle.

	himeji Travel Guide : 1 Get in 1.1 By plane 1.2 By train 2 Get around 3 See 4 Do 5 Buy 6 Eat 7 Drink 8 Sleep 9 Get out 10 External links

Get in

By plane

Himeji does not have its own airport. The nearest international airport is Kansai International Airport, from where busses run daily about every hour from early in the morning till ten at night for around 3000 yen.

The nearest domestic airports are in Kobe and Osaka. From Kobe Airport, take the Port Liner to Sannomiya and connect to either the Shinkansen or shin-kaisoku train service to Himeji. From Osaka's Itami Airport, there are direct buses to Himeji station (75 min).

By train

Himeji is along the Sanyo shinkansen line from Osaka and Kobe to Okayama and Hiroshima. The Hikari Rail Star offers frequent service to Himeji within the Sanyo region, as do the all-stopping Kodama trains.

From Tokyo, one Nozomi train per hour runs through to Himeji, covering the journey in just over three hours (¥15710). If you have a Japan Rail Pass, there is also one Hikari train departing each hour, running through to Himeji, which you can take at no charge. Due to additional stops, the Hikari takes 3 hours and 40 minutes to reach Himeji from Tokyo.

An inexpensive method of reaching Himeji from within the Kansai region is to take one of the frequent Shin-kaisoku (??? - Special Rapid) commuter trains, which charges only the price of a local train. The ride takes 34 minutes from Kobe (¥950) or 57 minutes from Osaka (¥1450).

Get around

It's easy enough to walk along Otemae-d?ri from the station to the castle and back, but buses will also cover the distance in 5 minutes.

See

• Himeji Castle (??? Himeji-j?). 1 (http://www.himeji-castle.gr.jp/index/English/index.html). Dating to 1609 and also graced with the name "White Egret Castle" (??? Shirasagi-j?), this striking white edifice is generally considered the most beautiful of Japan's castles and is one of the few that has escaped the ravages of civil war, earthquakes and firebombings. The castle was designated as a national treasure in 1931 and was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993.

Admission is ¥600 Adults and ¥200 Children. The castle is open 9 AM to 4 PM daily or until 5 PM from June until August (The castle is closed between December 29 ? 31.) A free guided tour in English is included if a guide happens to be free (no reservations are possible). The castle is an easy 10-minute walk north from the station.

Other points to visit in Himeji include:

• Koko-en, a beautiful walled garden just West of the castle
• Senhime Shrine, a little further West on the flank of Otokoyama, a small hill that provides excellent views of the castle and region (great place for taking pictures)
• Shoshazan and Engyo-ji Temple, a 30 minute bus ride from Himeji castle, with beautiful temples and great hiking
• Tegarayama, southwest of Himeji castle, with an aquarium and small amusement park.

Do

Himeji Castle is particularly striking (and crowded) in cherry blossom season in April, when all the trees planted in and around the castle burst into white splendor.

Most people visit only the Castle and the area between the castle and the station. However, the area around the castle is a great place for a refreshing walk or a picnic. For families in particular, the park behind Himeji castle offers a decent play structure and ample space to sit down and have a picnic in the shadow of Japan's most famous castle.

Buy

Eat

As you exit the station facing the castle (North), the main shopping street will be on your right and the main entertainment area on your left. Both areas have some fine restaurants. Himeji has a full selection of foods, from fast food (Western and Japanese) to gourmet dining. For breakfast there are countless coffee shops, including a Starbucks that has small waffles.

Drink

• Tiger Pub, Uomachi-dori (a few blocks away from the station). The local gaijin (foreigners) bar.
• The Sports Bar, Uomachi-dori, 2 (http://thesportsbarhimeji.com). Foreign & English speaking staff, big screen TV, world sports, full bar and good food.

Sleep

Most people visit Himeji as a day/half day trip. However, budget-conscious travelers should consider basing their travels out of this quiet city. The hotels are often great bargains and Himeji has ample restaurants. Since Himeji is on the Shinkansen line it's possible to hop on a train and be in Kyoto, Osaka, Okayama, or Hiroshima fairly quickly.

Get out

• To see Himeji's evil twin, the brooding black Crow Castle, hop on a train 50 kilometers west to Okayama.

External links

• Himeji City (http://www.city.himeji.hyogo.jp/english/himeji/)