Tag: cherry blossoms

Himeji Castle

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During BBM TRAVELS | Himeji, Japan | Himeji CastleAfter a quick and adventurous weekend in Beijing I flew into Tokyo for a two-week tour through Japan. I started with two days in the capital city before moving down to Kyoto for the rest of the week.

Last April, some friends and I took a trip to Kyoto to see the blooming cherry blossom trees which is when I first discovered Himeji Castle. I came across countless photos of the castle in my searches for good viewing spots for the cherry blossoms and couldn’t get over how beautiful it looked. Unfortunately our quick weekend trip really didn’t allow time to go to the castle, but I made it a top priority for any future traveling I did in Japan.

BBM TRAVELS | Himeji, Japan | Himeji CastleHimeji is a city in Japan that lies just a few hours train journey away from Kyoto or Osaka and is home to this centuries-old gorgeous white castle. I caught a late morning train which put me in Himeji in early afternoon; perfect timing for exploring.  After buying my ticket I took a self guided tour through the six-story castle climbing up the steep staircases with the rest of the visitors.

Once I’d made my way through the castle appreciating its dark wooden interior and fantastic views I decided to visit the gardens which lie next to it.

BBM TRAVELS | Himeji, Japan | Kokoen Garden

KoKo-en Garden is a lovely space next to the castle that houses a number of smaller gardens each with its own theme from a tea ceremony garden to a bamboo garden. My particular favorite was the pine tree garden. It was lush and smelled absolutely divine.

When I’d made my way through all of the gardens I hopped on a train back into Kyoto. I was so happy to have been able to visit the castle and cross it off of my Japan bucket list, and it really was as beautiful as I could have imagined.

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#bbmtravelsjapan

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36 Hours in Kyoto

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BBM KOREA | Kyoto, Japan | Maruyama ParkAnyone who knows me knows that I’m obsessed with cherry blossoms and have been since I was very young. I remember visiting my grandmother’s house growing up and staring out the window into her backyard each spring  admiring the beauty of the blossoming trees in bursts of pink and white wishing they could stay that way all year round.

Korea has some incredible cherry blossoms, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity of living so close to Japan during this magical time of year. Luckily for me I have some friends who were willing to take a quick weekend to indulge in a bit of Japanese culture.

We left early Saturday morning and arrived in Kyoto in the afternoon. After a quick bowl of ramen and some caffeine we were ready to take on the rain and start exploring.

BBM KOREA | Kyoto, Japan | Maruyama Park
The three of us walked from our charming Airbnb through the streets of Kyoto to Maruyama Park. Along the way we found a temple and a small river covered by the sakura which allowed absolutely picture perfect photo opportunities. Once arriving at the park we took our time to wander the winding pathways soaking in all of the blooms including this unbelievable centerpiece of the park.

After a few hours in the rain we decided to hunker down in a little wine café. Not the most traditional of choices, but it’s hard to turn down an evening of wine and cheese.

BBM KOREA | Kyoto, Japan | Fushimi Inari ShrineThe following day we went straight to Nishiki Market to pick up some souvenirs and a little breakfast, and then we were on our way to the Fushimi Inari Shrine. While the shrine didn’t have many cherry blossoms it was definitely a priority of the weekend.

I’d seen tons photos of the shrine prior to our visit, however I was completely unaware of how huge this site is. I had imagined there being just a few rows of the incredible orange gates, but it turned out that there were miles of them. The shrine spans over acres of land going up and down a mountain in a hike that can take hours if you choose to walk the entire way. We spent about a two hours exploring before having to leave to make our flight back to Korea and work Monday morning.

Though it was a short trip, it was so worth it to see the blossoms and the culture of Japan in spring.

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#bbmtravelskyoto