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HIMEJI |
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| By far the most impressive of Japan's twelve surviving feudal-era
fortresses is the one in HIMEJI , 55km west of Kobe, the memorable
backdrop to the Bond adventure You Only Live Twice as well as countless
samurai dramas. The splendid gabled donjons of Himeji-jo - also known as
Shirasagi-jo, or "white egret castle" because the complex is supposed to
resemble the shape of the bird in flight - miraculously survived the
World War II bombings that laid waste to much of the rest of the city.
Himeji is best visited as a day-trip: after you've explored the castle,
it's also worth taking in the beautiful Himeji Koko-en , nine linked
traditional-style gardens, and a couple of intriguing museums around the
fortress walls. |
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