Himeji-jo and Ittetsu ramen, Japan

Himeji is one of the best-known castles in Japan; when we visited, it had just been unveiled after a 5 year renovation, so a half day trip from Osaka seemed like a good idea.

We walked to the castle from the train station, watching it get bigger and bigger…  Amazing how high the foundation is!  Fortunately we beat most of the crowds, and could take our time touring inside – it’s mostly bare, just smooth wooden floors, slatted windows, and large open spaces with a few “warrior hiding places”, secret doors, and weapon racks.

Once we had seen all we wanted, we headed next door to Koko-en garden.  It’s beautiful and expansive, actually 9 different gardens of various styles.

We saw several couples having wedding or engagement photos taken throughout the garden, as well as some giant koi and a heron (D got a fabulous shot, below).  Definitely a picturesque spot, and worth a stroll.  Note that you can buy a castle ticket that includes garden admission for just 40 yen more (33 cents, making it a ridiculously good value!).

One of the top restaurants in Himeji, according to TripAdvisor, is Ittetsu Ramen, a mom and pop place that’s open for only four services a week: Thursday and Friday lunch, and Saturday and Sunday dinner.  They spend the rest of the week tending their garden and harvesting vegetables for the restaurant.

We arrived a little after noon, and the vegetable (“yasai“) ramen was already sold out.  I had the regular ramen instead, which still featured a nice pile of garden bounty – lettuces and greens, tempura kabocha and garlic shoot, snap peas, radishes, and even a sliver of cauliflower.  There was also a perfect egg half and a slice of really good chashu pork, tender but not fatty.

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Tips on finding it: Ittetsu is a bit of a ways from Himeji castle and the train station, so definitely take a cab.  It cost us about $20 each way and took about 20-25 minutes.  Just ask the restaurant staff to call a taxi for the return journey.