Category: Travel

[Japan] First Visit to Himeji Castle | Record of Japan’s Top Three Famous Castles and Tourist Attractions

Himeji Castle, also known as the White Heron Castle, is a famous historical site in Himeji, Japan. It is considered one of Japan’s top ten must-visit castles and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The castle is known for its white exterior walls and well-preserved architecture, particularly the three-story main keep. Himeji Castle is easily accessible and is a popular destination for tourists visiting Osaka, Kobe, or Himeji. Various transportation options, such as the JR PASS Kansai Wide Area Pass, JR Kansai Area Pass, and Kansai Thru Pass, are available for visitors to reach the castle. The castle grounds also include the beautiful Nishi-no-Maru Garden. Visitors are recommended to allocate at least 2-3 hours to explore the castle and its surroundings.

[Japan] Half-day Tour of Omihachiman Water Village | Experience the Hachimanbori Boat Ride and the Himure Hachimangu Shrine

Located in the city of Omihachiman, known as “Japan’s Venice,” Omihachiman is a peaceful destination with a canal called Hachiman-bori that visitors can stroll along or take a boat ride on. It is also a great starting point for a day trip to Hikone Castle. The area is rich in history and features traditional Japanese architecture. Visitors can also explore the nearby Himure Hachimangu Shrine. Omihachiman is easily accessible by train from Kyoto or Hikone.

[Japan] Tokyo Night View Spots | Tokyo Night View Photography

This passage discusses various popular night view spots in Tokyo, including Tokyo Tower, World Trade Center Observatory, Mori Building in Roppongi Hills, Tokyo Station, Ginza, and Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa. It provides information on the locations, opening hours, and ticket prices for each spot. The passage also mentions the unique features and attractions of each location, such as the panoramic views from the observation decks of Tokyo Tower and World Trade Center, the 360-degree glass walls of Tokyo City View in Mori Building, and the historical charm of Tokyo Station and Senso-ji Temple.

[Japan] JAL B767 New Cabin JAL SKY SUITE | JL802/JL809 Taipei-Tokyo Flight Experience

The author had a positive flying experience with Japan Airlines (JAL) in 2015 and chose to fly with them again for a trip to Tokyo. The flights were on a B767-300ER aircraft with JAL’s “JAL SKY SUITE” cabin, which provided a comfortable experience in both business and economy class. The in-flight entertainment system was upgraded with larger screens and multiple language options. The flight had a 2-3-2 seating configuration and had a high passenger load. The author was disappointed with the reduced meal options but enjoyed the Haagen daz ice cream on the return flight. Overall, the flight was comfortable and smooth, and the author expressed interest in trying All Nippon Airways (ANA) for a different flying experience in the future.

[Japan] 2017 Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya, and Hokuriku Eight-Day Itinerary

Taking advantage of the New Year holiday, I embarked on my first eight-day journey from Kansai to Hokuriku. The itinerary included the night view from Abeno Harukas in Osaka, Kibune Shrine in Kyoto, the snow-covered Kinkaku-ji, Nagoya Castle, the Hida-Takayama area, the Kamikochi cable car, the illuminated Gassho Village, Kanazawa Castle, and the night illumination of Kenrokuen Garden.

[Chiayi] Chiayi Song of the Forest

If you have the chance to take a train passing near Chiayi Railway Station recently, you might notice a new egg-shaped structure made of yellow rattan by the tracks. This unique and mysterious attraction is Chiayi’s new landmark—the Forest Song.

[Taipei] 2014 Xiding Road Tung Blossom

It’s that time of year again to admire the tung blossoms. In the past, I always visited Tucheng to see the blossoms, but the weather was often uncooperative, leaving me with photos of fallen flowers on the ground. This time, I chose to go further to Xiding Road, where the blooming period is later. Although there has been some rain recently, causing the flowers to fall, the overall results were still quite satisfactory.

Take a expressway bus from Kobe to Shikoku.

In another article I wrote about the methods of entering Shikoku, which mainly involve land, sea, and air transportation. You can choose one of these options. By air, you can fly from Osaka Itami Airport to Matsuyama Airport or Kochi Ryoma Airport. By sea, you can mainly depart from Osaka Nanko or Kobe Port, or from Hiroshima or Kure Port. The main ports in Shikoku are Takamatsu Port, Tokushima Port, Matsuyama Sightseeing Port, and Toyo Port. By land, you can choose between bus or train. Buses can be taken from Osaka Namba Bus Center or Kobe Sannomiya Bus Center, and you can take a expressway bus to destinations such as Naruto and Tokushima. Trains can be taken from Okayama Station, and then you can transfer to the Seto-Ohashi Line to reach various parts of Shikoku. Today, I will introduce the process of taking a expressway bus from Kobe to Shikoku.

【Shikoku】Take the Kotoden train from Takamatsu to Kotohira

To travel from Naruto to Kotohira, you can initially take the JR train directly to Ichinotani, then transfer to another train to reach Takamatsu, and finally, transfer yet again to get to Kotohira. However, considering I also need to take the JR train from Kotohira to Hiroshima the next day, I opted to use the Kotoden (Kotohira Electric Railroad) for my journey to Kotohira. This approach allowed me not only to experience other railways in the Shikoku region but also to enjoy the rural scenery of Shikoku along the way.