Himeji – The White Heron

Even though Yale and I visited the castle in Hiroshima, we didn't go in. I was holding out for Himeji Castle—Japan's most famous and beautiful castle. It is nicknamed the White Heron because of the white plaster that cover the castle walls (used as a fire retardant). I must say, the castle was still like I last saw it a few years ago. I was a little surprised that the huge lawn in front of the castle was a little dry and unkempt. The walk to the castle was a little long—approximately 700m to the front entrance. Inside the castle, who knows how far we walked (probably about the same, if not more). All in all, it felt like we walked a lot. Having spent an hour or two in Himeji, it was time to move on to Kyoto, the cultural capital of Japan.