Himeji Castle, Himeji

As you can expect from a ancient Japanese castle it looks amazing in it's white color. The only downside is that while it looks great in the fall it's considered one of the best places to enjoy the cherry blossoms, but wrong season so... Still it's a great place for a short visit, 1000 yen entry and few minutes away from the train station so it's even an option for a quick stop on the way somewhere else.

Himeji Castle is absolutely breathtaking and totally worth the day trip if you're in the Kansai area. I was there with my parents in November and the autumn colours made the views all the more breathtaking, plus there were no queues, though the castle was still fairly busy. Be aware that once you are inside the castle grounds there is not a single vending machine so grab a drink before you enter as the castle is pretty large with lots of steps and can easily take around an hour to explore. The reason I give it 4 rather than 5 stars is because there is a little room for improvement, mainly with regards to the information on offer. Yes, the architecture is gorgeous, but unfortunately much of the castle is presented without context. I don't expect a full diorama with statues in every room, but it would be nice to have some more information or maybe some artists impressions drawn up to help envision what the castle was like when it was in use. As it stands, the rooms felt rather dead, which was a shame. Where there is information it is often hard to read because of a lack of lighting in gloomily I castle rooms. This could be easily fixed with some lamps focused on the information boards in the rooms. There are apps and interactive augmented reality bits but it would be nice to just have information easily accessible instead. Definitely go and visit! It's gorgeous!