Himeiji Castle

During our week in Osaka, we had some free time and caught the train out to Himeiji (about 45 minutes). On my quest to visit as many of Japan's 26 castles, we spent the day touring the Himeiji Castle and its many surrounding samurai gardens. Himeiji Castle is by far the most popular castles in Japan and my favorite thus far. We were fortunate that the weather was remarkably nice on the day that we went. Blue and sunny skies allowed for a clear view of the castle from a distant. From the train station, you walk about a mile or so down a busy street that was once the outer moat protecting the castle. We were also fortunate when we arrived because they offered free English tours so Kim and I jumped on the opportunity. The guides name was Yamamoto San. The tour took almost 2 1/2 hours and was well worth it. Kim and I were the only ones in the group so Yamamoto San took his time explaining all the little details about the castle and it's many unique defense features. Aside from the high stone walls and many moats that most Japanese castles have, Himeiji was designed with many paths and illusional walls that trick possible attackers. For example, the picture above looks like a continuous brick wall or a likely dead end. It in fact leads to a secret path for soldiers to flank the enemy if they broke through the first gate. The path that you see in the picture was added for the purpose of tourists but allows you to see what I am referring to. Yamamoto San would ask us "which way would you go?" We would state the obvious path which would lead up to the castle, but again it was another trick and usually lead to a dead end or a courtyard where would be attackers were ambushed with a flurry of arrows. The castle was full of these paths and other interesting defense designs. From secret passage ways for escape to narrow doors so only one attacker can pass through at a time. It is still unclear to researchers as to what actual purpose of some of the designs but it was fun to let your imagination run wild. Himeji Castle was never attacked...

Surrounding the castle were several samurai gardens known as Koko-en. Samurai once surrounded the castle and the closer the samurai lived to the castle, the higher their rank was. These 9 gardens were recently developed but named after the samurai that once lived there. They were elaborate zen like landscapes with cherry blossom trees and ponds abundant with colorful and extremal large koi. The gardens also included a bonsai exhibit where some 100 year old bonsai trees were on display. Each of these trees had a special name and cost about 4,000,000 yen (or $40,000) each.

All in all, it was a great day trip. I suggest that you bring comfortable walking shoes if you go. The castle itself spans over 10 acres.

Note: You can buy a combined ticket to see the castle and Koko-en for a discounted price of 700 yen (or $7.00).

Kim's Big 3-O

Kim turned a whopping 3-O on March 4th. I planned a surprise birthday party for her this past weekend with the help of one of her friends. We started off at a small (hole-in-the-wall) restaurant in Sakae, Nagoya. From there we met everyone at a place called Amataro for food, drinks, and karaoke (all of Kim's favorites in one place).

There are 2 Amataro locations in Nagoya. One is 2 blocks from our house and the other is a 10-15 minute walk to downtown. We chose the one in downtown because there is a private karaoke room you can rent out. Being that we were all foreign, it was probably a good idea we did. For $50 bucks a person, we were able to enjoy all you can drink booze, all you can eat shabu shabu, and hear Kim serenade us for 90 minutes. Not a bad deal since we ate and drank a tremendous amount. Following that, we decided to hit the town. One of the highlights of the night was finding this kebab stand selling beer and kebabs - it was delicious (at 2:00 AM)!

Note: Bars and restaurants in Japan offer nomihodai and tabehodai. Both are a great deal if you are thirsty and/or hungry. You can usually find places that offer a combination of both for a reasonable fee.

On Kim's actual birthday, we ate at a restaurant down the street called Garuva. It is unique because each table is a tent lit only by candle light. At first, when you enter the restaurant, it almost seems like they are closed. The large heavy iron door leads you to a waiting area where you are welcomed by a soft spoken host which sets the tone and manner of the evening. You are then lead to your table (or tent) by way of flashlight. In the tent, you will find pillows and bean cushions for you to sit and lounge on. Most people kept their conversations to a low whisper. The atmosphere is meditating with the smell of incense and soothing Enya-esque music playing in the background. The food is not bad with an eclectic mix of Indian, Vietnamese, Italian, and more. We chose 5 different food items from the Vietnamese Salad to a Prosciutto Pizza, a bottle of wine, and 2 desserts which came to about $100 US total- not a bad deal considering the atmosphere and a great time with Kim.

Japan Weirdness

Nudity at the airport (click on image)

Pimp and Geisha

Cooking and smoking while selling food to people walking by

Fashion statement

What a lovely bag

$1 US = 90 Yen (you do the math)

Super Bowl Monday in Japan

OSAKA-JO

I took the train to Osaka-jo (castle) today. One of my many goals over the next 2 years is to visit all 26 Japan castles. Each castle is unique and today some are still in there original forms as others are reconstructed and turned into modern museums. Osaka-jo is a modern museum with 8 floors of historic artifacts.

It is only a 15 minute train ride from Osaka Station (Umeda). I suggest you research about the history before you go. There are not many English explanations on the exhibits but it is still an attraction that should not be missed.

Like everything else, there is a lot of walking. The area has a huge park with a bunch of shrines and structures deemed "Important Cultural Assets by the Japanese government".

The whole experience should take less than half a day.

Directions: From Osaka Station (Umeda) take the JR West Loop Line to Osakajokoen. It's a 15 minute train ride if you catch the train going in the right direction. Just make sure you get on the "Loop Line", it goes in a "loop".

Nara

The thing about being in Osaka is that it is central to many places. Kyoto for example is only 30 minutes by the local trains. There are several different types of trains or stations in Osaka so you need to make sure that you get on the correct one. There is the subway, the Honshin, the Hankyu, and the JR. The concierge at the Hilton are very helpful and they provided me with train maps and a list of places to go. Kim and I were having drinks in the lounge and met a couple from Santa Fe, New Mexico. They were wrapping up the end of their vacation in Osaka. Since Kim was working during the day, I decided to ask them if they wanted to go to Nara with me.
Nara is a part of Kansai and west of Osaka (about 1 hour by train). It is known for 2 things. The first being temples and shrines. The most popular one is Todai-ji Temple (shown above). It costs 500 yen to enter the temple. However, Todai-ji is the largest wooden structure in the world and houses a large Buddha figure or Daibutsu (shown below). The figure stands nearly 15 meters tall (approximately 50 feet) and weighs 550 tons. I have seen many temples already and was not enthusiastic to pay to see this one but I have to admit that it was worth it. I was in awe when I arrived at Todai-ji. This structure is amazing. To put its size in perspective, look at how small the people in the picture are compared to the building itself.

Secondly, Nara is know for it's infestation of deer. Yes, like Bambi! They are all over the place and will come up to you and eat straight from your hand. At first it seems pretty cool but where ever you go, watch your step cause there is deer crap all over the place. It is recommended that you do not touch the deer as well. They are cute and friendly but are really dirty.

All in all, Nara was an enjoyable experience. There is so much to see so you can spend an entire day their but be prepared to do a lot of walking.

Directions: From Osaka Station, take JR Yamatoji Line. It takes 47 minutes and will cost you 780 yen one way. When you arrive in Nara, I suggest you take a taxi and to Todai-ji Temple (1000 yen) and begin your day their.

OSAKA

Kim had some work to do in Kobe this week. We stayed at the Hilton located in the heart of Osaka. Osaka is apart of the Kansai which is made up of Kobe, Kyoto, and Osaka. It is the second largest metropolitan city in Japan and is known for its gourmet food. I just had to tag along.

We took the Shinkansen from Nagoya. The train ride in itself is quite and experience. First of all, it is not cheap and roughly 6,500 yen or ($70) one way. The trains are always clean and always on time. There are 3 different types of trains and we rode the N700 Series which are the newest and fastest trains in the fleet. It takes about 1 hour to get to Osaka from Nagoya. People on the trains don't usually talk or at least have loud conversations. Most Japanese usually sleep or drink. Kim works and I usually sleep :)

Osaka is know for its food culture. Kim and I found some very nice and affordable restaurants in the area. 2 in particular were about a 10 minute walk from the hotel.

EN is an izakaya style restaurant. Izakaya is a type of Japanese eating style similar to small plates or tapas restaurants. When you enter EN, you are required to take off your shoes. It is an interesting restaurant with all sorts of things going on. We went on a Wednesday night and it was packed. There are private dining rooms, tables, bar seating, and floor seating. As I mentioned before you take your shoes off which makes it awkward cause it is a nice, modern style restaurant. The prices are very reasonable at 500-700 yen a plate. Kim and I tried several dishes. Our favorite being the curried fried chicken. After about 2 bottles of sake, some beer, and a bunch of food, our bill was only 6000 yen or $65. Not bad for a fun night out in Osaka.



Our next recommendation is a yakiniku restaurant called Don Don (or Don 2). Yakiniku is another Japanese style of cooking where you are served plates of sliced raw meat and you cook it yourself. Again, another crowded restaurant so we sat at the kitchen counter which is probably the best seat in the house. They give you a ceramic pot with red hot coals. Kim and I chose the seafood and meat platters. Sitting at the counter, you can watch the cooks slice and prepare all the food. Everything comes out neatly presented on a plate along with different dipping sauces. While we were eating, I saw a dish of nice marbled beef. I asked the chef if we could have an order of it and it was the most tender piece of meat I've ever eaten. It is so good that you sear the meat and eat it almost raw. Flavorful and cool center made it like butter! After all of that and another 2 bottles of sake and beer out grand total was just under 10,000 yen or $100.

Inuyama Castle

The weather here lately has been somewhat unpredictable. It snowed yesterday but today was sunny and 58 degrees? Being that it was a nice day, Kim took me to Inuyama Castle. It was a fun little day trip as I have not been out of the city since I've been here. I learned a little more about the train and subway system and found out that there is a train station a couple blocks from my house. I bought a 5000 yen ($60) train pass that allows me to take the train or subway where ever I want. You just put the pass into the machine and it deducts the fair each time you use it. It is a pretty complex system but once you figure out how to match the colors on the schedule to the colors of the train to the colors on the ground, you might get to where you want to go. Good thing I had my tour guide to show me the way.

Inuyama Castle was built in 1537 by one Oda Yojirou Nobuyasu the uncle of Japan's most popular Samurai Oda Nobunaga. It is the oldest standing castle in Japan. It was passed on to many different Lords and was almost completely torn down before it was handed over to the Japanese Government as a "National Treasure" in 1935. In 1965, restoration was completed to its current condition.

Castles were under frequent attack so there are many designs that helped to protect the Lord of the castle. Here, Kim is walking up the first flight of stairs. The stairs are nearly vertical so that invaders could not easily run up and attack. Attackers were forced to hold on to the railing.

Other defense designs were gaps in the floor boards that allowed one to see intruders below. Another Castle purposefully made the floors creek so intruders could be heard coming.

There were armor rooms, secret rooms, and stone rooms where they would drop boulders off the edge and on to intruders scaling the walls.

The entire structure was built using no nails. It is an elaborate craftsmanship of tongue and grove and dove tailing the structure together. It is completely earthquake proof. It even includes its own fire protection system (see picture below).


Other than that, the castle was surrounded by many gorgeous views. The castle sits on top of a mountain so it has a 360 degree view on top. Kim and I took it as a photo opportunity to share with you all. Below I am pointing towards Nagoya.