Himeji

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Went to Himeji yesterday, which is home to probably the prettiest castle in Japan - Himeji-jo. Given my penhant for chambara films it was of particular interest to me. Yet another UNESCO world heritage site, it was built during the Edo period, and as such gives insight into the military practices of the time. Its clever design resulted in a castle that was both aesthetically pleasing and defensively sound. As it has never been attacked, it has survived almost intact to this day.

Being constructed entirely of wood, you are made to don these useles little slippers with no grip whatsoever and walk up 7 stories worth of tall slippery narrow stairs, and then back down again once you've reached the shrine and are rewarded with the awesome view up top. It's probably equivalent to a few hours on the stairmaster, plus fraught with danger for tall gaijin, who have to be careful not to smash their heads on the low low ceilings are their descending...mwahaha.

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