13/12/2022

Phew! An action packed day. Nice and early we headed off to Himeji to see what is easily one of my most favourite things in all Japan… Himeji Castle. It never ceases to take the breath away… exiting the train station to see it looking back at you down the main street.

We spent a couple of hours exploring the castle ourselves, just ahead of the school groups. I never grow tired of visiting.

It was then back to Kyoto to visit a couple of iconic locations…

First up was the Golden Pavilion. A bit of a pain to get to, but there is no denying how stunning it looks, especially when bathed in sun. It is odd to visit a temple and simply walk around it, but this is SO iconic, it is worth the visit.

From there we caught a sneaky bus and then train to Arashiyama. This is a lovely place to visit. Always a little crowded but usually pretty chill. Lots of street food to eat and of course the bamboo forest. Impossible to get a photo by yourself, but still always mesmerising.

A relatively early dinner at 5pm, and some resting before a busy day tomorrow, when we head of to Osaka for some very particular adventures…