Himeji
With half a million inhabitants, Himeji is the second largest city of the Hyogo Prefecture, with Kobe being the largest. It can be reached in less than an hour from Osaka or Kyoto and is a popular stopover while traveling on the Sanyo Shinkansen line which is the same line if visiting Okayama or Hiroshima for example.
Himeji is
most famous for its glorious castle, which is the focal point of the city.
Himeji Castle is widely deemed to be Japan’s most beautiful surviving feudal
castle, with it being a designated national treasure and UNESCO world heritage
site. The city is relatively flat and easily explored by foot or bicycle.
