hyogo trip : himeji castle

Himeji Castle located in Himeji, about 1 hour trip by train from Ashiya.

Himeji Castle (姫路城, Himejijō), also known as White Heron Castle (Shirasagijo) due to its elegant, white appearance, is widely considered Japan’s most spectacular castle for its imposing size and beauty and its well preserved, complex castle grounds. The castle is both a national treasure and a world heritage site. Unlike many other Japanese castles, it was never destroyed by war, earthquake or fire and survives to this day as one of the country’s 12 original castles in Japan. The castle recently underwent extensive renovation over several years and was fully re-opened to the public in March 2015.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3501.html

 

Entrance of Himeji Castle

 

Longwalk to go inside Himeji Castle

Himeji castle entrance is hidden in labyrinth-small path-stair style and it is so far from the ticket gate, so prepare yourself with good shoes because it will save you a lot of tiredness (imagine walking hundred stone steps with pretty heel shoes). And we have the chance to enter inside castle too, (basically in Japan naked feet is inappropriate) so don’t forget use socks to make society don’t stare at you with embarrassment look.

 

 

Windows Shape Defense

The wall with triangle-square-circle window shape useful for the soldiers to aim bullets/arrows for outsider, but harder for outsider to aim inside.

 

Multilingual Brochures and VR-based Education System

Himeji Castle prepares a lot of brochures not only in main languange (english-japanese-chinese-korean) but portuguese, germany, even Bahasa Indonesia also available. In my hand is brochures in Indonesia language, Istana Himeji. To understand some features in Himeji castle without tourguide, visitors can download AR Himeji App (in google play store) and can use our phone as self tourguide. When our phone tap to the barcodes in certain area, it will explain some description even play documentary videos.

 

Inside the Himeji Castle

The castle has 6 floor (and 1 basement floor). Visitors can visit until top floor and see Himeji city view from the window.

We even can see JR Himeji Station clearly in one line with Himeji Castle.

After finished the tour inside Himeji Castle, we can take photo in the himeji castle ground. The closest we can take for outdoor photo.

 

This is the best photo of me and himeji castle 😀

hyogo trip : tanba-sasayama (2/2)

This part is specialized to talk about persimmons, japan persimmons, or we can say kaki.

 

Back to Indonesia we have persimmons also, named kesemek. It looks like japan shape only not so good skin quality. Taste may be different as Indonesia one more sweet and wet while Japan is more crunchy and ideal sweet. Kaki is quite expensive, a shop near my house sell one fruits for 350yen! Well other shops might sell 400 yen for 2 fruits. Still expensive though, rather than indonesia fruits. But the taste is amazingly delicious. I guess it is also good for diet because it is naturally sweet.

 

So this is my first time gone kaki picking. Please enjoy my photo and explanation 🙂

 

The village where we will do kaki picking looks so quiet and peaceful.

And we can spot easily the kaki tree, without leaves, it looks so attractive.

 

Kaki are in season around late autumn and winter when they are often seen hanging on while the leaves have all fallen.

Originally coming from China, and it have been cultivatef in Japan since the 7th century. Kaki are most commonly enjoyed raw after being peeled and cut into pieces.

Yes, I can cut it nicely!

 

 

 

 

Do you know that kaki has 4 types cultivars?

Luckily, I get detail explanation from Mr. Adachi (my boyfriend’s father).

There are 4 types of kaki cultivars. Those are:

1. Perfect bitter
2. Unperfect bitter
3. Unperfect sweet
4. Perfect sweet

Kaki increases fructose (sweetness) and water-soluble tannin (bitterness) simultaneously with fruit growth, so slowly as fruit grows, bitterness will masks the sweetness.

On the other hand, seeds emit some substance to convert water-soluble tannin (bitterness) to unsoluble one (less bitterness). Then kaki fruits released bitterness and emphasize sweetness from the vicinity of seeds.

[I bet that means generally if the fruit has seeds might be sweeter than the fruits that not have seeds]

full baskets of kaki, yum yum yummmm..

So the type 2 and 3, the number and size of seeds affecting the sweetness factor. However in type 1. perfect bitter type, even they have seeds the insolubilization will never occurs (stay bitter), and in type 4. perfect sweet type, insolubilization proceeds naturally even if no seeds.

 

Although that 4 kaki cultivar types, they have one similarity.

Can you guess?

All types is edible.

Yes, you can eat all types, even the perfect bitter one.

Of course it needed artificial tannin insolubilization by alcohol, carbon dioxide, etc. but technically the statement is correct. hehehe..

 

 

 

Not only raw eaten, there is also one unique process make kaki more special. The technique name is :

Japan massaged dried persimmon : tsurushi-gaki

Tsurushi-gaki are persimmons that are peeled..

And tied to a rope, in certain ways..

And dried whole over period of several weeks through a combination of hanging and delicate hand-massaging, until sugars contained in the fruit form a delicate surface with a dusting that looks like frost.

Unlike sliced dried fruits, tsurushi-gaki are succulently tender and moist, with concentrated persimmon flavor.

 

 

 

 

The trip is finished, and the most happiest things is I can bring kaki which we already pick to home. At first I get 4 pieces, but the number grows larger and larger, finally I bring home 10 kaki. Wonder what I can make with all of this fruits.

 

All team finished making and (mostly) watching dried persimmon process.

It’s a happy day!

hyogo trip : tanba-sasayama (1/2)

Today our integrated japan language course class has a one day culture trip to Tanba Sasayama village. It took 1.5 hr from hankyu rokko station to go to tanba area by bus. Around 45 students join this trip from various country. The schedule is making pottery at tamba traditional art craft park, visiting Kobe University Sasayama Field Station, free time to explore Sasayama area, persimmon picking and watch dried persimmon making and last buy souvenirs at okashi no sato tamba.

 

TANBA

Tanba pottery is also named Tachikui Pottery beyond its origin place Tachikui at Heian period (1180-1230). It it counted as one of the ancient six potteries in Japan with Seto, Tokoname, Shigaraki, Bizen and Echizen. Tanba Tachikui Kiln is designated as a national intangible cultural asset. It consist mainly of tableware made for daily use, so you can purchase both dishes and artwork in one place.

Inspite of looking an exhibition pottery artworks, there is also pottery classroom where we can make our own original masterpieces from clay.

Everyone get one ball of clay to start with. Any dishes or shape you can make freely.

Because why not making myself new favourite bowl?!

This is so far our pottery result. It will take about 6 weeks for our item to be baked and sent back to us.

Tanba Traditional Arts and Crafts Garden, when the products is as beautiful as the surrounding view. Their works really touch a warmth sense of earth and people.

 

Until then we visit Sasayama Field Station to have lunch, well this field stastion generally builds for academic endeavour. And after that we get around 1 hr free time to explore Sasayama. University staffs prepare 3 plan which mainly for who like alcohol, who are interested in Japanese history and who are interested in local history. My group choose Japanese history sightseeing as it is said that it has beautiful scenery  at both Sasayama Castle and Kasuga Shrine. And we can try Japanese sweets on the way to Romankan. Buit I doubt in 1 hr we can finished all. But anyway, let’s have fun!

 

SASAYAMA CASTLE

The Oshoin was the second enclosure of Sasayama Castle for 335 years until it was destroyed by fire in 1944. It has now been reconstructed.

In front of the Oshoin Entrance.

We can enjoy walking in the museum inside and you can see pieces of Japanese history.

We can enjoy take a walk through this passage of time and affected by this atmospheric old castle.

What a beautiful sky. The oshoin splendidly reconstructed within the ruins of sasayama castle, above 4 years they were spent on completing and especially constructing the roof of the museum. If you look closely you can see that every detail has been given consideration.

I’m enjoying the view and weather. 🙂

 

 

 

 

historical townscape is preserved and communicates the atmosphere of the castle to the present day.

It is not only Sasayama castle as vocal point of city but its supporting city small business attract visitors too!

 

KASUGA SHRINE

  

 

 

I’m tired hahaha

but we still have a persimmon (kaki picking) which I will put on second post..

see you later 🙂

 

 

all of trip members in front of Romankan Cafe