Day 1:
June 1, 2004
Himeji Castle
We got up this morning and drove to the
city of Himeji. The castle there is nicknamed "White Heron Castle," and
is one of the few castles in Japan that has remained undamaged over the years,
even after the city itself was destroyed during World War II.
It's not easy getting to the top of the main donjon, with 5
flights of very steep stairs to climb, but there are some great exhibits
of armor and weapons along the way. You get a nice view of the castle
grounds and the city from the top, and there is a Shinto shrine on the top
floor as well.
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Himeji Castle
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Garden at the entrance to Himeji Castle
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Another view of the main castle donjon (tower)
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Map of the castle grounds at the height of its power
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Bonsai tree at a display on the castle grounds
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Another Bonsai tree
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Becca and Mary Beth at Himeji Castle
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Armor display inside the tower
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View from the top of the tower
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Becca samples udon noodles. She wasn't crazy
about them, but she gets credit for trying!
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Baseball Game
This evening, we took the train to
Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, to see the Hanshin Tigers host the Yakult
Swallows. The Japanese are very enthusiastic about their baseball.
When the home team bats, there is a cheerleading team (all male) that
leads a designated cheer for each player. The fans all seem
to have a pair of plastic bats that they bang together in time with a
drum played by the cheerleaders. There are signs in the stairwells which
forbid doing "the Wave" - too spontaneous! Each team in the Japanese
league has a couple of American players - the Tigers have George Arias
(formerly of the Angels and Padres) and Jerrod Riggan (Mets/Indians).
Yankee fans remember Hideki Irabu; he plays for the Tigers as well. The
Tigers lost the game 5-3.
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Hanshin Tigers vs. Yakult Swallows
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Full house at Koshien Stadium
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New Hanshin Tigers fans
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