Declan Murphy wrote:
 > ....is where I'm going to be again on Saturday. Apart from the
 > castle, gardens, shops etc, any suggestions in particular for things
 > to see, do, eat etc before I head back to Kobe in the evening?
 >
I can't remember: do you have kids? If so, there's an awesome park
behind the castle with an impressive play structure.

I typically avoid the shotengai except when it's just brutally hot; too 
many people, not that much to see/do. The only neat places are on the 
end opposite the train station where there are some older shops.

For a good walk and view of the castle/city I like Otokoyama. If you go 
to Mapfan and zoom in on the castle you'll see it just to the left 
(West) of the castle; it's near the literature museum (which I've never 
been to). There's a ton of steps to climb, and in summer honestly the 
view isn't all that awesome because the trees have too many leaves. But 
it's a good walk, there's a smallish shrine, and the walk down the other 
side and back to the rear of the castle is nice.

Other sites include Tegarayama (aquarium, gardens, public gym, and an 
amusement park that charges no admission if the pool/water area is 
closed; great for kids, and they often have Ultraman and other such 
shows). You can walk there from Himeji station, but it's not that close 
and requires some navigation skills; easiest to take the Sanyo line 
(can't remember the station; Tegarayama has a Website).

The resident Gaijin bar is Tiger Pub on Uomachidori (Uomachi is where 
you'll find the hostess bars, most of the restaurants, etc.); they have 
a Website. Personally I don't much care for the place; no specific 
reason. There are two bars that I do like, though. One is on the South 
side of Himeji station; it's a pizza place (pretty good) with a bar that 
has a nice selection of whiskey/scotch/bourbon. I can't remember the 
name, but if you exit the station you'll see a couple of tall buildings 
diagonally to your right (west; one of the buildings is home to ECC 
eikaiwa). Just head towards those buildings and you'll see the 
restaurant's escalator (it's on the second floor).

The other place I frequent is called Cafe Aube. Exit the station on the 
North side and head down the main drag towards the castle, turn left on 
the first major road (multi lane, one way heading West), go past the 
Daigeki theater (movies, bowling), and it's just a hundred meters or so 
on the left (south). There's a cover charge (can't remember exactly how 
much; been over a year since I went) but the Master makes some good 
drinks, the appetizer they bring out is nice, and they play subtle jazz 
music, so it's relaxing.

In Uomachi there's a nice oden place. Taking the same directions as to 
Aube, go one block further towards the castle, turn left, and it's on 
the left (it has a name, but I always just look for the 'oden' sign). 
It's very small and the obachan speaks a very strong Himeji dialect.

You might also contact the local chamber of commerce and see if they're 
having the flea market that weekend; it's been many, many years since I 
went to it (and they might not even have it any more), but it might 
influence your plans (either to go or avoid it; it's on the grounds in 
front of the castle).

If you have time and want to, a couple hours West of Himeji is Miyamoto 
Musashi's birthplace, complete with his onsen. It's not a bad trip, 
though there's really not that much to see, and you get to go through 
some really nice but typical rural scenery. I'm a big Musashi fan so it 
was worth it for me.

On Kobe: are you planning on doing any sightseeing there? The walk to 
Nunobiki waterfall is nice, particularly if you continue up the hill and 
walk beyond the reservoir. The stream up there is good for sticking your 
feet in, and there's an interesting collection of hovels that I can't 
imagine actually have residents (though I'd like to live there). Easiest 
way to get there for most people is to combine it with a trip to the 
herb gardens; take the cable car up, walk down the hill away from Kobe, 
and the trail along the stream/reservoir is easy to find.

Hope this helps some.

John W.