Day 1
We left Kyoto! We took a train from Nijo Station which was right next to our hotel in Kyoto to Osaka, then connected to Namba station and then to Uehommachi station which is literally connected to our hotel. Pretty easy and all the trains ran on time!
Note that Doutonbori is just right at the Namba exit but we chose not to go to. But for people who like to drink and enjoy the pups, it would be interesting place to visit.
Staying at Miyako Sheraton Osaka was an excellent choice. It’s adjacent to the train station so it’s very convenient to go places, and there are many good restaurants around. It’s only a 4 min walk to Kevan’s favorite restaurant, Coco Ichiban Curry House, and that’s where we went today for lunch!

And coincidentally that was right next to Baskin Robbin’s so you can guess where we went for dessert. We tried the popping rainbow flavor which is exclusive in Japan and Korea. I liked it!

Day 2
Today we had a quick breakfast at the hotel and headed out to Himeji at around 7am. It took us a bit of time to figure out the train routes to get started. We first took a train from Uehommachi station to Namba, and then switched trains to get to Amagasaki for 600 yen per person. We then took the Sanyo direct train to Himeji for 1290 yen per person. Unfortunately, we thought that we would be able to take the Shinkansen bullet train from one of these stops, but wound up getting on a local express train which stopped much more frequently and took significantly more time than we anticipated. It took us a little over 2 hours to get to Himeji station and then it’s about a 15 minute walk to get to Himeji Castle.

On the way back, we took the Shinkansen from Himeji station to Shin-Osaka and it only took 30 minutes. Then a few stops and one transfer on different subway lines and we were back to the hotel in a little over 90 minutes total.

Himeji Castle is a national treasure in Japan and is the largest and most visited castle. It definitely takes some time to get there from Osaka, but in my view, certainly worth it given the history and the beauty of the castle and the ability to tour inside the castle across all of the keeps and rooms and all the way to the uppermost parts of the castle. This castle consists of 1 main keep and 3 small keeps namely Daitenshu and Kotenshu respectively. It was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993.
This castle is considered to be the best preserved samurai fortification. It is frequently referred to as “Hakuro-Jo (white Egret Castle) or Shirasagi-jo (white Heron Castle) due to its white exterior which is believed to resemble a flying bird. There were a number of samurai fortifications at this site over the years, with Himeji Castle originally built by Akamatsu Sada Nori in 1346 as a fortification against local shoguns. In 1577 the Emperor Nobunaga Oda took control of this district and he placed HideYoshi in control of the castle and he converted the fortifications into a much larger complex with over 30 turrets. It has changed hands many times throughout the feudal period, dismantled and rebuilt many times over the years.
The castle was used as a storage during peaceful time and as a defensive fort during war. It was said that the castle has a strong defense systems against invaders although it was never tested.

The entrance is structured in a form of a maze to confuse potential invaders. Murder holes (holes in the walls allowing defenders to shoot out or pour hot liquid down on potential invaders) were created on the castle walls. Double moats were also used to deter and impede attacking invaders.

An interesting diagram of craftsmanship and beliefs which have been incorporated in the castle construction.

Thus ended our quick trip in Osaka, we will definitely be back!