Sure the 100+ degree day might've not been the best to see and climb up the small stairways of Himeji Castle but it builds character and now I have an extra shopping bag of character to show off at home. Himeji is a modern city with one of the best preserved ancient castles in Japan. The castle complex is made of 82 different buildings that snake their way towards the main castle which offered a layer of defence for the inhabitants in addition to the samurai.
I've seen the castle in films like Akira Kurasawa's "Ran" and the Bond film "You Only Live Twice" so it was interesting to be there in person. Like everything else the experience felt purifying, possiblly because I sweat away a small ocean but the location has a magical feeling that is like no other place on earth.
