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Wonderful Himeji-jo, Japan’s biggest and best preserved original samurai castle is now back on our radar, hurrah!
After a massive five-year renovation project, the scaffolding is finally coming down.
All the restoration work should be completed by 27th March 2015, just in time for cherry blossom season.
I dropped by Himeji in September to see how the castle is looking.
Himeji-jo is famous for it’s maze-like defence system, triangular shaped holes for shooting arrows from and angled chutes for dropping stones and boiling water.
Koko-en gardens next door to Himeji Castle is well worth a visit too. Opened in 1992 on the former site of the feudal lords’ west residence, there are nine separate gardens built in Edo Period style.
For those of you that are feeling as though you recognise the castle, but have never actually been. You may recognise it from ‘James Bond: You only live twice’ as the Ninja training camp. Keep an eye out for it in this trailer.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxteuPr28Xw]