Seto Inland Sea Bike Tour

DAY 38: Himeji Castle is known for its towering castle tower and its shining white stucco walls. It is pronounced hakuro in Japanese, which means "white eagle". The white stucco surface makes the castle look like a holy white eagle flapping its wings in flight. It is the most visited castle in Japan every year. The Great Castle Tower was built in 1601 and is one of the oldest existing castle towers in Japan. Although most of the buildings in Himeji Castle were designed for war purposes, the castle itself has never been damaged by war, which has preserved this national treasure-level castle more intact. The most recent major restoration of Himeji Castle was carried out between 2009 and 2015, using modern technology and materials to retain classical architectural elements and the iconic white stucco walls, thereby restoring the former splendor of the White Eagle Castle. Himeji Castle has served many famous lords, including Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Ikeda Terumasa and Honda Tadamasa. It is a masterpiece of traditional Japanese wooden architecture. The main tower is 45.6 meters high, one of the tallest wooden towers ever built in Japan. The east and west pillars extend from the basement to the fifth floor. The base of the east pillar was replaced with Taiwanese cypress during the restoration in the Showa era, while the west pillar was replaced with cypress due to severe corrosion. From the outside, it looks like a five-story building, but the interior is actually a seven-story structure, including a basement with stone blocks as the foundation. P.S.: I recommend two private spots where you can overlook the entire Himeji Castle for free: the "Himeji Citizens Plaza rooftop observation deck" and the "Otokoyama Park". The latter requires climbing 200 steps, so it will be a bit difficult for those with limited mobility! Attractions: Himeji Castle, Kokoen Garden, Otokoyama Pond Park, Senhime Hachimangu Shrine Himeji Gokoku Shrine, Harima Kokusosha Shotenheishu Shrine Accommodation: Hotel Wing International Himeji, Himeji City Today's cycling distance: 0 km Cumulative cycling mileage: 2032 km #Japan #FourCountries #Shikoku Pilgrimage #Shikoku Pilgrimage #Seto Inland Sea #Shikokudisease #Tokushima #Awa Spiritual Field #Kochi #Tosa Sacred Ground #Ehime #Sanuki Sacred Ground #Kagawa #Iyo Sacred Ground #BicycleTravel #Two people walking together #Kobo Daishi #Namo Master Universal Illumination Vajra #Shikoku Pilgrimage 88 #Gohenro #Shimanami Kaido #Shodoshima #Setonaikai National Park #Don't ask me how much the trip costs #Ask yourself how many years of youth you have left #japan #tokushima #kochi #ehime #takematsu