Linda

Himeji – April 12, 2025

Location: Himeji – Day 1
Walk: Himeji Castle
Weather: 50-60°/ mix of clouds and sun becoming cloudy, winds 10-15 mph

Himeji City Zoo.

Zebra for Mollianne. It’s the closest thing to a horse.

Pelican or at least I think it’s a pelican.

Castle Act 2 – April 12, 2025

Location: Himeji – Day 1
Walk: Himeji Castle
Weather: 50-60°/ mix of clouds and sun becoming cloudy, winds 10-15 mph

Himeji Castle’s cherry blossoms.

Namiyo often mention how the Japanese gather under the cherry blossoms to celebrate the onset of spring.

Castle Act 1 – April 12, 2025

Location: Himeji – Day 1
Walk: Himeji Castle
Weather: 50-60°/ mix of clouds and sun becoming cloudy, winds 10-15 mph

OVERVIEW

WALK: 5m from Minshuku Marcuse to bus stop

BUS: 1h @ 7:55 on bus #3 arriving at Fukuyama Port @ 8:58

FERRY: 2h @ 9:30 on Fukuyama Ferry to Himeji Port @11:00

BUS: 15m from Himeji Port to JR Himeji Train Station

WALK: 10m from JR Himeji Train Station to Natural Hot Spring Dormy Inn Himeji

Himeji Castle is also known as “White Heron Castle” because it resembles a white heron taking off. I’m bouncing between places with swarms of foreigners and places with the random foreigners. I’m getting a more balanced view of Japan. Flashing news…Namiyo, Saburo, and I will rendezvous in Kyoto❤️.

Niche – April 11, 2025

Location: Shodo-shima Island – Day 2
Walk: Kankakei Gorge & Olive Grove
Weather: 50-60°/ breaks of sun, light rain, winds 5-10 mph

Olive production is a niche in Japan. A 6 1/2 ounce bottle of extra virgin olive oil costs $38. I’ll stick with Italian, Spanish or Portuguese.

Greek windmill as part of the olive grove. Go figure.

Gorge Downward – April 11, 2025

Location: Shodo-shima Island – Day 2
Walk: Kankakei Gorge & Olive Grove
Weather: 50-60°/ breaks of sun, light rain, winds 5-10 mph

The trail downward from Kankakei Gorge nicely balanced the breathtaking upward ride. Less show. More serenity.

Gorge – April 11, 2025

Location: Shodo-shima Island – Day 2
Walk: Kankakei Gorge & Olive Grove
Weather: 50-60°/ breaks of sun, light rain, winds 5-10 mph

Kankakei Gorge is one of Japan’s top three gorges. Even with uncooperative weather the view from the ropeline/gondala was spectacular.

Places – April 10, 2025

Location: Shodo-shima Island – Day 1
Walk: 24 Eyes Movie Set
Weather: 55-65°/ chance of rain 5-10 mph

“Places everyone.”

Movie dwelling set. What a clever use of under stairs space.

24 Eyes – April 10, 2025

Location: Shodo-shima Island – Day 1
Walk: 24 Eyes Movie Set
Weather: 55-65°/ chance of rain 5-10 mph

Twenty-Four Eyes Movie Village is an island attraction for cult film aficionados. A nice buzz about the village with equal number of period dwellings and trinkets shops.

Canadian Ania helped pass the hours on the bus rides. We both had contemplated getting about the island more independently. She on a bike and me by foot. We realized what folly that was once we encountered the traffic.

Bus Schedule – April 10, 2025

Location: Shodo-shima Island – Day 1
Walk: 24 Eyes Movie Set
Weather: 55-65°/ chance of rain 5-10 mph

A true test of my travel skills was deciphering the Japanese island bus schedule. Perhaps the real test of my travel skills was riding the local bus 1 hour for 8 miles.