The cherry blossoms have opened at Himeji Castle, Japan, prompting an update to our LEGO model today. When I visited exactly a year ago, the blossoms were late, allowing me to experience the castle without the usual crowds.
Category: Asia
2125 LEGO Pieces Later…
Completed Himeji Castle today. It was a team effort, with Dwight building the top three floors. There’s a surprising amount of detail, including ancillary buildings and a walled courtyard. It can be opened to reveal an interior. I’ve taken this low-angle photo to highlight how the vertical tapering of the main building creates an illusion of extra height. Click through to see how tapered it is.
Revisiting Himeji Castle
Back in April the cherry blossom (sakura) would be late at Himeji Castle, providing an opportunity to check out the most visited castle in Japan before the crowds of sakura season. I arrived early in the day, my hunch was correct, I was able to walk straight in and explore without the usual crowds. Afterward, I ordered the LEGO model. It’s an engaging alternative to our usual fall-back at this time of year: a jigsaw puzzle.
Cheap Tix
Booked a round-trip to Japan using miles earned from a United Airlines credit card I opened earlier this year. The sign-up bonus and other perks covered the cost. I’ll be flying with ANA on the transpacific portions, which generally offers better service than United. My outbound flights will take me to Asahikawa, Hokkaido, a gateway to Daisetsuzan National Park. Traveling on the cheap adds to the adventure!
Shogun Night
We’re slowly making our way through Shogun (2024). Tonight we watched episode 7 (of 10) with Dwight fast-forwarding through the commercials. I appreciate the show’s high production values, how it sheds light on events leading to Japan’s Edo period (in fictionalized form), and how it resists the white savior trope.
Temple Plumbing 2024
Posted Temple Plumbing 2024 about four temples on the Shikoku 88 Pilgrimage I visited this year.
Temple Plumbing 2024
On my Shikoku 88 temple visits, I have a tradition of photographing the temizuya (purification stations). Here’s the crop from my most recent trip to Japan.
Donki Shopping
I rarely buy souvenirs; however, I have a running joke with my oncologist about Japanese KitKats. So, here I am in a typically garish and cluttered Don Quijote (Donki), selecting boxes of uniquely flavored KitKats for the care team: Strawberry Cheesecake, Amaou Strawberry, Island Lemon, and Tamaruya Wasabi.
A Quiet Trail With a Tiny Shrine
Completed my temple and shrine quota for this trip with a visit to Kamakura, Japan’s capital from 1185 to 1333. On a hike along a fine trail in the hills above the city, I stumbled upon this tiny cave shrine. The few other hikers I encountered, nearly all Japanese and mostly older than me, seemed unfazed by the trail’s more technical sections.
Yokohama’s Foreign Hill
In Yokohama, I explored a hillside area that served as the foreigners’ section when Japan opened to the world in the 1850s. The Europeans and Americans who settled here played a vital role in Japan’s modernization. The Foreign General Cemetery offers a glimpse into these lives, like this Scottish islander who became an officer with the NYK Line (Nippon Yusen Kaisha, founded 1885).