Himeji is always recommended as a small trip may be for few hours when you are travelling between Hiroshima and Kyoto. People go to Himeji to check out Himeji castle which can be done in about 3-4 hours easily. My trip to Himeji was also about castle but as it turned out Himeji is much more than just the castle.
As you come out of Himeji station, you can see a white colour castle at a distance of about 0.5 km. It looks beautiful especially on a bright sunny day as it’s white colour sparkles. Moment i looked at it, i knew i was going to click lots of pictures.
As you enter Himeji, you also notice that this city has different vibes to it as compared to Tokyo or Kyoto. It seems kind of relaxed, there are lot more open spaces, much less crowd. Almost all the while there was nice breeze blowing and it just feels great.
As you walk towards the castle, you see lots of shops around and near to the castle there are lots of restaurants. They are almost like open restaurants with seats outside and you don’t feel rush or being cramped.
It feels so good, grabbing a bite , sitting in open space in front of the castle.
I was more focused on taking pics of castle from outside and didn’t entered the main building itself. Generally i feel it’s like a ritual that you must go inside the castle and check out everything.
Another good part about Himeji is that there are no barriers at the platforms, so you get a very clear view of bullet trains !! In fact you can click your best photos and videos of bullet trains here.
Himeji is so different from other Japanese cities i visited, its laid back atmosphere gave me a feel of Cologne [German city].
Himeji must be on your Japan itinerary if you like cities with laid back atmosphere.