Hanging Out in Himeji, Japan: Castles, Culture & Cherry Blossoms

 

Our Japan-based Director of Program Operations Sarah Reid is on a mission. With the recent launch of Japan as one of our newest study abroad destinations, Sarah’s exploring different areas of the country that we think you might like to visit. Nara was her first stop.

Her destination this time? Himeji 姫路市.

“Himeji makes a huge impression as soon as you step out of the north exit of the train station,” Sarah said. “There's a broad street running straight from the station, all the way up to the castle sitting up on the hill. It absolutely dominates the skyline above the modern buildings of Himeji city.”

Himeji-jo: The White Heron Castle

The Himeji-jo, the city’s famous castle, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest surviving castle in Japan. It’s a striking example of 17th-century Japanese castle architecture, described by UNESCO as a “masterpiece of construction in wood, combining function with aesthetic appeal, both in its elegant appearance unified by the white plastered earthen walls and in the subtlety of the relationship between the building masses and the multiple roof layers.”

There are 83 buildings in total, but the main complex, which Sarah was able to visit, is nicknamed the “White Heron Castle.” The roof is designed to curl at ends in a way that is reminiscent of a white bird taking flight.

She learned that this castle had never been attacked and it is one of very few original castles in Japan. “Having been there, I completely understand why. It's an incredibly intimidating structure that even today feels like a place of authority,” Sarah said.

The castle as we experience it today was built in 1601, but a long history of re-builds stretches back to the Ashikaga period when it was originally built as a hilltop shrine in 1333. A visit really pulls you back through time.

“Walking through the castle, you take your shoes off and make the climb up seven sets of steep wooden stairs,” Sarah explained. “The steps are worn where countless feet have made impressions into the wood. The lighting inside is minimal so it truly feels like a more authentic space. The castle was built to be the ultimate place of defense and you see this in the design and features of the castle, from original weapons racks to small windows for defenders to launch projectiles from.”

There are intricate carvings, impressive woodwork, and snippets of the castle’s long history to spot. Climb to the top and you’ll be rewarded with stunning views over the city and surrounding countryside.

Stepping out into the grounds of the castle, it’s time to take a moment to stop and smell the…cherry blossoms! If you visit in April, that is.  



Cherry Blossom Season

Sarah’s trip to Himeji coincided with Japan’s famous Cherry Blossom Festival and “Ohanami” (literally: “Flower Looking”), which involves picnicking near or under the cherry blossoms, often with friends or family. These delicate flowers have a very faint floral scent and bloom in thick clusters on the trees before the leaves grow. “It's hard to capture on camera, but there is something moving about seeing them,” Sarah said.

Ohanami is an especially popular activity on the castle grounds where Sarah found a large area with pop-up vendors selling local goods, games to play, and street food to enjoy. She was even lucky enough to see a group of shamisen players playing traditional music.

Exploring Himeji: Beyond the Castle

After her visit to the castle and a bit of relaxation under the fragrant cherry blossom trees, Sarah set off to explore some other parts of the city, which is a big part of samurai history.

“Himeji has a huge area of covered pedestrian-only streets lined with every sort of shop, restaurant, and entertainment venue you can think of,” Sarah said. “It's a huge grid of intersecting roads, some wide with larger stores and some narrow with small restaurants with delicious food.”

The town was built around the castle, and many people visit with the castle as the main activity, but there’s plenty else to see and do.

If you were a fan of Tom Cruise’s “The Last Samurai,” you can visit the Engyoji Temple that was featured in the movie. The temple is on Mount Shosha, accessible by cable car. Be sure to write down a wish on an ema wish tablet to leave behind at the temple!

There are many different shrines, temples, and museums to visit, including the Kodera Museum of History and Folklore, the Shosha Art & Craft Museum, the Japan Toy Museum, and the Science Museum.

You can stroll through the Edu-style Kokoen Zen Garden with its walled traditional gardens designed to reflect different seasons. Admire the koi ponds and make reservations the join a traditional Japanese tea ceremony in the tea house on site.

Take some time for a walk through the Himeji City Nature Observation Forest, or for something a bit quirky, head up to the Inner Harima Scarecrow Village just north of the city to see 130 scarecrows doing all manner of activities from waiting for the bus to working on the farm.

If you have some time, on the recommendation of Rob from The Real Japan, drive to the outskirts of the city to meet the Myouchin family and experience traditional samurai sword-making at Myouchin Sword Maker. Each one is hand-crafted over the course of a month and sells for about $25k! The sword-making experience is by appointment only, but you can visit their main workshop where they make highly prized fire tong windchimes.

Himeji also has beaches where you can swim and participate in different water sports. You can even go clam digging from April to June.

The essentials: Eating & Getting Around

There is always the important question of food to consider; what to eat in Himeji?  

“You can smell people grilling meats and vegetables at yaki-niku restaurants that seat a max of six,” Sarah noted. “These areas are often decorated with lanterns. At night it's quite a sight.”

Some favorites to try include the popular one-pot dish called Oden, the local chicken dish hinepon, Japanese wagyu beef, udon noodles, dishes made from saltwater eel, almond toast and locally-crafted almond butter, the Himeji twist on a corn dog “jokamanchi-dog” with fish cake inside instead of hotdog, and to drink: matcha tea.

For an interesting experience, tour the Yamasa kamaboko factory where you can watch the production line, sample fishcakes, and book a fishcake-making workshop.

You’ll likely enter the city by rail (about 3 hours from Tokyo, for example) into Sanyo-Himeji Station. From there, you can navigate using their extensive bus system which is operated by Shinki Bus and centered around Himeji Station.

EdOdyssey in Japan

We’re thrilled to have Japan as one of our newest study abroad destinations. If you’d love to experience cherry blossom season, and/or Japanese culture in general, reach out to create a custom program for your students.  

Himeji is just one of the places you could stop; our custom programs can include popular destinations like Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, and Nara, but can also be tailored to your leader’s area of expertise or interest and take you to places like Okinawa, Fukuoka, all the way up to Akita and Sapporo.

We also offer First Year Experiences through our academic partner Kansai Gaidai University in Osaka and semester and full year programs through Seinan Gakuin University in Fukuoka.