On my third day in Japan we took a bus back to Osaka from Hiroshima and on the way we stopped in a town called Himeji to see the beautiful castle there. It is the finest feudal fortress left from the Sengoku (warring states) period, and the architecture really does shine. Touring the grounds I got the distinct impression that it was both the residence and a fortress. Constructing defensive walls is an art form about forcing invaders to take the longest route possible to give your defenders time to reinforce. So the route up to the top of the main keep was circuitous, heading through a gate meant you had to go around the next ring almost entirely until you find another gate. Walls and Gates. Walls and Gates.
I was able to locate quite a lot of these photographs 20 years later because the features remain exactly the same. This Castle is even represented in a recent Assassin’s Creed video game, and I’m delighted to say they did a good job.
After our tour we got back on the bus and were delivered back to Osaka just in time for a late dinner with some friends we met outside the ship. We went to a place that had an open flame in the table center to cook your various pieces of meats. That’s all I know about that, but on the way home we took a ride on the Tempozan Ferris Wheel to cap off the day.
The next city for Semester at Sea is
Kyoto, Japan