Himeji Castle Half-Day Customized Tour — Guide Hiro

Title: What's a Private Himeji Castle Tour Like for Guests Arriving by Shinkansen? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests arrived in Himeji on the 8:46 Hikari shinkansen, and after meeting at around 9:00 as scheduled, we confirmed the sightseeing plan. Since they had made a lunch reservation in Kobe Sannomiya, they wished to catch a train around noon, so the Himeji tour ended up focusing solely on a visit to Himeji Castle. Showing them an old map, I explained things such as how JR Himeji Station is located just outside the southern side of the outer moat as we headed toward the Himeji Castle ticket office. Since it was drizzling, we walked along the Miyuki-dori shopping street, and they enjoyed the trick art there so much that they took commemorative photos with a piece they liked. As we were saying how glad we were that the rain had stopped, the sky cleared and the white-walled keep shone beautifully against the blue sky, and the group was moved, exclaiming how beautiful it was, and were very pleased. The elegant keep, as well as the other buildings and walls, are all covered in white plaster and beautifully designed. They were also impressed not only by this but by the ingenuity of the defensive systems. Some of the guests seemed especially interested in the defensive features, and I received many questions from the whole group. I believe they enjoyed themselves very much. We returned to the station a little before noon, and at the ticket gate I informed them of the departure time of the next special rapid train, the platform number, and the escalator, and saw them off at the central ticket gate. The group was enjoying a rather luxurious trip, staying several nights at a lovely villa in Kyoto, visiting sightseeing spots to their liking, savoring distinctive food in different towns for lunch, and returning to their base in Kyoto.

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Tour Report by Hiro

I am Hiromi Mizoi, call me Hiro. I mainly have Himeji tours because I live in Himeji. I got my National Guide Certificate in 2017. I started to guide tourists as a volunteer guide in 2004. I had been a volunteer guide for a long time. However, I could not have any tours from April in 2020 to November in 2022 due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. Now, many tourists have come back to Japan. So, I am very excited. I would like to share not only the beauty of Himeji Castle’s Main Tower Complex but also the tricky defense systems of the entire Castle Grounds, which many visitors do not realize, with you. I was born and grew up very close to the west side of the moats of the Castle. So, I love Himeji Castle. I like other tourists’ favorite sightseeing spots such as Kokoen Garden and Engyoji Temple in Mt. Shosya. As one of Himeji locals, I am greatly happy to share the local people’s favorite spots with you. I look forward to your tours.