Himeji Castle Half-Day Customized Tour — Guide Hiro

What Is a Private Himeji Castle and Koko-en Garden Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were met on time at the central ticket gate of JR Himeji Station, and we headed to Himeji Castle. We proceeded from the site of the former outer moat, past the stone walls of the existing middle moat, and then explained the inner moat and its stone walls as we walked, quickly finishing a sandwich lunch around the rest area of Otemae Park before continuing on. The guests were surprised that the castle occupied such a large site surrounded by a triple moat, and they seemed very interested in the layout within the inner moat. The scale of the middle moat and its stone walls (except on the south side) and the inner moat and its stone walls seemed to exceed their expectations. Including the defensive mechanisms inside the main keep, there are maze-like passages, and they commented that it would be difficult to attack, that it was very well thought out, and that it was fascinating. I believe they enjoyed talking about these features very much. At Koko-en Garden, they seemed to admire the variety of gardens with their differing atmospheres, and they especially liked the nishikigoi carp and the design of the residence garden, as well as the lively movement of the water in the flat garden with its flowing stream. They were delighted. This was my first time doing a tour on New Year's Day. Until recently, Himeji Castle and Koko-en Garden were open free of charge on New Year's Day, so the number of visitors exceeded 10,000 and it was always extremely crowded. I heard that this practice was discontinued after the pandemic. It was less crowded than I had expected, so I was able to guide relatively smoothly and felt relieved. When we looked into the souvenir shops and eateries around the castle, there were few shops and restaurants open around the station on New Year's Day, which was a little unfortunate for the guests. We returned to JR Himeji Station and ended the tour.

Click here for more details: Himeji Castle Half-Day Customized Tour with Licensed Guide

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.