3rd day - himeji & osaka

me in the morning on our adventure to himeji.

doesnt the castle looks magestic?

our family pix!

after a well rested night, today we are heading to himeji. we need to take the JR to Himeji. the journey itself was long, but the good news was we were on the express train meaning we only stop at specified stations.

the train ride to himeji takes 2hours from kyoto station. we left after 9am and by the time we reached there its was already 11am. we walk from the station towards to Himeji castle when we came across the Himeji tourist information Center. we decided to get the free rental bikes. mummi had read that there is free rental before we came. so mummi strapped up up in the ergo carrier and off we went.

first we went around the Himeji Castle then later into the castle ground, its huge! the weather was great and cooling :) just nice. here the people cycles a lot. i wouldnt mind too if in Singapore the weather is just as nice.

the moat surronding the castle

the willows at the side of the moat

mummi and me in the castle ground outside the arts musueam

the flowers in the castle grounds

Himeji Castle (姫路城, Himeji-jō) is a flatland-mountain Japanese castle complex located in Himeji in Hyōgo Prefecture and comprising 83 wooden buildings. It is occasionally known as Hakurojō or Shirasagijō ("White Heron Castle") because of its brilliant white exterior.

Himeji serves as an excellent example of the prototypical Japanese castle, containing many of the defensive and architectural features most associated with Japanese castles. The tall stone foundations, whitewash walls, and organization of the buildings within the complex are standard elements of any Japanese castle, and the site also features many other examples of typical castle design, including gun emplacements and stone-dropping holes.

One of Himeji's most important defensive elements, and perhaps its most famous, is the confusing maze of paths leading to the main keep. The gates, baileys, and outer walls of the complex are organized so as to cause an approaching force to travel in a spiral pattern around the castle on their way into the keep, facing many dead ends. This allowed the intruders to be watched and fired upon from the keep during their entire approach. However, Himeji was never attacked in this manner, and so the system remains untested.

in the train on the way to Osaka

after lunch and we returned the bicycles. we took the JR but we alighted at Osaka. we walked around osaka city, their shopping arcade is massive. we headed to Namba Park. Namba is the center of popular downtown called the " Minami" or. south, competing with the "Kita" or north around Umeda.

as it was getting cold we didnt really stop much to take pictures. only took the ones with the buildings with the neon lighting.