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Day 5 – 31st March 2017
Wake up to a wet, very cold day for our trip to Himeji Castle.
After checking out of our hotel we catch the underground to Kyoto station, a journey of only 4 minutes and then take the Bullet Train to Himeji( 40 minutes ).

The above photograph shows the incredibly sleek Shinkansen at its best and for me at least it has the same impact as the first time the famous black John Player Special Grand Prix car was unveiled to the public many years ago. If a piece of machinery can have sex appeal these two have it in bucketloads!

On arrival at Himeji we opt to take a bus from the station to the castle entrance as we are now in the middle of a torrential downpour. While on the bus I was just about to tell one of my fellow travellers, Lyn, that at least I have not been offered a seat by one of the seated elderly passengers, when, in perfect English a lady says to me ” would you care for a seat? ” As the lady looks  considerably older than I am Lyn, of course, finds the whole affair hilarious. I, naturally decline the kind offer and try to appear as sprightly as possible as I get off the bus.
Himeji is widely considered to be Japan’s most beautiful surviving feudal castle and designated both a National Treasure and UNESCO World Heritage site.
As we enter the castle we are required to remove our shoes which we place in plastic bags which we carry around during the whole tour.
The queues to get in are now ridiculously long and the teeming rain only makes matters worse.
The interior of the castle is actually rather underwhelming but one particularly impressive feature is the central wooden pillar from cypress pine which rises vertically through the whole building. I will not forget my ascent to the top of the tower in a hurry as on one of the steep stairs I try to brain myself by bashing my head on a low beam. It’s a whole new experience for me to be taller than much of the local population!

  
We eventually emerge from the castle to find that the rain is abating somewhat and we, therefore, take a walk up to some of the gardens near the main entrance. From this vantage point we are able to gain a great photo of the castle which is clearly far more impressive from the exterior.

While waiting on the platform at the railway station for the return trip on the Bullet Train I notice that our motley group is not lining up for the train in the orderly, almost military, precision of the Japanese travellers. I, therefore, point out to them that they are giving Australia a very bad name and soon they have formed a queue which would not look out of place in a Trooping of the Colour Parade in London. Chiaki goes over to an adjoining queue of Japanese who are looking on in wry amusement and explains the reason for this spectacle. Much hilarity which totally debunks the myth of the ‘ inscrutable oriental’.

On arrival in Okayama we check into our  accommodation for the next 3 nights, Hotel Granvia which maintains the standard to which we have become accustomed.

Dinner is at a Japanese restaurant which offers a traditional BBQ. The meat is brought to the table and we cook this on a grid in the centre of said table.
Whilst the ambience of the establishment is great the quality of the food leaves something to be desired and falls short of the very high standard set previously on this tour. To make matters worse the group at our table ( there are two groups) tries to set fire to the restaurant until a waiter comes to our rescue and dowses the worryingly high flames!

It’s always good to end the day in a blaze of glory!

Off to Hiroshima tomorrow.

Cheers

The Obese Ferret.