This morning (Saturday) I make a quick getaway from Fukuoka (1) to Hagi (2), a less-visited castle town, for the night. The next day (Sunday) I’d planned to continue to a second castle town, Tsuwano (3), for the afternoon before heading to Osaka (4) for Sunday night. Rain is guaranteed in Tsuwano, so scrub that plan, I’ll go directly to Osaka. Ultimately, I’m aiming for northwest Honshu, but breaking up the journey.
Category: Honshu
A reconfigurable art gallery by the Inland Sea
Woke up to rain, so took the Shinkansen 130 miles to sunny Iwakuni on the other side of the weather system. At the Simose Art Museum, designed by star architect Shigeru Ban, I enjoyed a dessert lunch overlooking the Inland Sea. Eight brightly colored, rearrangeable gallery modules can be configured by two people to suit exhibition needs.
Yokohama: familiar hotel, familiar treats
Took the Keikyu line from Tokyo Haneda Airport to Yokohama and checked in to the JR (Japan Rail) Hotel as the sun was setting on Thursday. I’ve stayed here before, the rooms are compact, but have everything I need. Note the pajamas on the bed. At a konbini (convenience store), picked up nigiri (rice ball), an egg salad sandwich (Japan does these well), and a small dessert to bring back to the room.
Cherry blossom time at Himeji Castle
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.
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.
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).
Final Stop, Yokohama
Monday. Travelled by bullet train from Kanazawa to Tokyo, then transferred to a local train for Yokohama (part of Greater Tokyo), my final stop on this trip. On Wednesday it will be a 20-minute ride on the Keikyu Line to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport international terminal.