# Day 16 - Manu & Sophia go to White Castle ## White heron keep Today’s purpose was primarily to travel to the starting point of our cycling trip, but we decided to make the most of the journey by including a stop at Himeji Castle. Also known as “The White Heron” for its stunning white appearance, Himeji has stood in its current configuration since 1609, and is Japan’s best preserved feudal castle. The entrance opens with an enormous lawn surrounded by a ring of cherry trees that were in full bloom—a marvelous sight. We began our tour by walking through one of the castle complex’s long fortified interior corridors, which were filled with informational plaques and displays. We also downloaded the official castle tour app, which allowed us to listen to an English audio guide providing supplementary commentary throughout our visit, as well as an additional “augmented reality” app that offered some short, fun reenactment videos. We learned a ton about the castle’s history and its occupants, including the harrowing tale of Princess Sen. Married at age seven in a political maneuver, the princess experienced the loss of two husbands, her three-year-old son, and several close family members all within her short time residing in Himeji castle, after which she lived out her remaining years as a Buddhist nun. The highlight of the castle tour is the opportunity to climb the several absurdly narrow and steep staircases to the top of the main keep. While the entire surrounding area was flattened by air raids in WWII, Himeji magically escaped destruction, and we are so grateful that it did. ![[day 16 - 1.jpg]] ![[day 16 - 2.jpg]] ![[day 16 - 3.jpg]] ![[day 16 - 4.jpg]] A short walk from the castle is the Kōko-en Garden, a collection of nine walled-in gardens featuring different popular styles of the Edo Period. Aside from its lovely ponds, flowers, and bridges, the garden is home to such special plants as the world’s rarest variety of cherry tree and a recently revived ancient variety of lotus being grown from some seeds discovered in a riverbed. ![[day 16 - 5.jpg]] ![[day 16 - 6.jpg]] ![[day 16 - 7.jpg]] ## Onward to Onomichi After meandering through the peaceful maze of gardens, we picked up some konbini lunches, and headed off on the train toward Onomichi. ![[day 16 - 8.jpg]] ![[day 16 - 9.jpg]] We checked into Hotel Cycle, which is housed in the same building as the Giant brand bicycle store where we would be renting our bikes, and is designed to cater to those who plan to ride the Shimanami Kaido, with bike racks everywhere you look. The vegan options in Onomichi were extremely limited, so we were so excited to walk past a Coco Ichibanya, whose curry Manu had been craving since we first tried it. It was the perfect hearty pre-ride meal. With a big two days ahead of us, we turned in early for a good night’s sleep. ![[day 16 - 10.jpg]]