Himeji Castle: The White Heron

A couple of weekends ago, I finally made it back to Himeji Castle!! The first time I went to Himeji, the castle was still being renovated, so I opted to go to the garden which is located right next to the castle. The renovation had been an ongoing project for quite a few years until March 2015 when the castle was re-opened to the public. I avoided going there for the first two months like the plague because of the hordes and seas of people that would undoubtedly be visiting. I haven't been to many Japanese castles, but Himeji definitely stands out as the top :) It comprises of eighty-three buildings and is also known as the Shirasaji-jo, or "White Heron Castle" because its white exterior and buildings resemble a heron taking flight. Unlike other castles, it has never been destroyed from wars, earthquakes or fires and thus still stands in its original form! 

The castle opens at 9:00, so I got there around 8:20 only to find myself standing in an already growing line! I was lucky enough to be part of the first group that was let in. They had to regulate the number of visitors allowed to enter because so many people were lining up. It was a rather hot day as well and I can't imagine how miserable it must have been to be standing in line during the afternoon! The fee to enter is 1,000 yen and with hundreds and hundreds of people and tour groups waiting patiently to enter, I think the castle made quite a bit of money to help cover the extensive renovation. I hope you all enjoy the pictures!

Just before 9:00 and the line had gone past the park area..

View from the second floor :)

The stairs were actually really steep so if you have bad knees, definitely take it slow. And don't wear a short skirt unless you don't mind everyone behind you getting a peek. Shorts or pants all the way! :)

The line of people who got past the ticket gate and were waiting to get INTO the castle!

And the line to buy tickets...

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you all have a wonderful week! 

Family Time: Osaka

 My family came to visit me during the last two weeks of February, and it was so, SO nice to see them!! My parents flew in a few days ahead of my brother so I took them to Osaka for a day and it was perfect weather-- the crisp, cold air with a bright sunny day :)

My mom's green omiyage bag. She always had one or two market bags to haul her omiyage throughout the day :D They got quite heavy too!

My parents were thrilled to see that some of the ume were blooming just outside of Osaka Castle and we spent a good deal of time taking pictures of the flowers. 

Definitely weren't the only ones doing that. These ladies were busting out the big guns!

A different angle of Osaka Castle

Tempozan Ferris Wheel! :D I love riding in tall ferris wheels because of the view that you can get when you reach the top. 

Sorry for the blur on the left...but this was only a fraction of the view that we were able to get from the top! =]

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Takeda Castle Ruins: Castle in the Sky

I hope you've all been keeping warm!

Located in Asago City (in Wakayama), Takeda Castle Ruins has shot up in popularity after being shown on TV. Although not much of the castle remains, it still remains very much impressive and has become a must-see destination for those visiting Hyogo. During fall, visitors who make it to the top can see the castle surrounded by clouds as the first rays of the sun hit the castle. Thus, it is also called by many as the "castle floating in the sky" (think Laputa: Castle in the Sky by Hayao Miyazaki). Thanks to the organization skills of one of the Kobe JETs (shout out to Sandy for organizing the entire thing!), around thirty of us were able to make it to the top before sunrise :) This involved catching the last train out to Sannomiya where we all met up at one in the morning before splitting up into groups and making our way to Asago.

There are buses that will take you up part of the way (500 yen fee one way), but you will still need to walk a good twenty minutes or so until you reach the ruins. When we finally made it, the wind was quite brutal. It was cloudy and drizzling, so we weren't able to catch the sunrise, but were still able to see some clouds surrounding the ruins :)

I could definitely get used to a view like this :)

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you have a wonderful week! ^^

Hanami Season: Kema-Sakuranomiya Park and Osaka Castle

While the sakura were in peak season, I took the opportunity to explore some hanami spots that are known for their sakura. The first on my list was Kema-Sakuranomiya Park which is known for having over a thousand sakura trees lining the park. Walking along the river and snapping pictures of the pretty pink flowers while enjoying the crisp morning air was an excellent way to start my day :)

Some people will sleep in the park to reserve a good spot O.o

After soaking up the morning air, I headed over to Osaka Castle and many people were already on the grounds, but that didn't stop the crowds from coming in :)

While everyone was admiring the sakura, these two cuties were captivated by the pigeon :)

The bushes were wrapped with these gorgeous flower lights that were to be lit as nighttime came. I can only imagine how pretty it must have looked!

Thank you so much for reading! I definitely can't wait to explore new places next spring ^^ Any suggestions for me to check out? I hope you all have a wonderful week!