Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [316]
Len* (225-5505; 324 Eki-mae-chō; lunch/dinner from ¥1000/3000; 11.30am-3pm & 4.45-11.30pm, closed 3rd Mon & 1 Jan) If you find yourself in Himeji in the evening and feel like a good meal of pan-Asian izakaya fare, then try Len. Dishes include things like Indonesian yaki soba (fried noodles; ¥850) and Chinese fried chicken (¥780). There’s a blue sign in English.
Fukutei (222-8150; 75 Kamei-chō; lunch/dinner from ¥1500/3000; 11.30am-2.30pm & 5-9pm Mon-Sat, 11.30am-2.30pm & 5-8pm Sun & holidays) This stylish, approachable restaurant is a great lunch choice if you want something a little civilised. The fare here is casual kaiseki: a little sashimi, some tempura and the usual nibbles on the side. At lunch try the excellent omakese-zen (tasting set; ¥1500). There’s a small English sign that reads ‘Omotenashi Dining Fukutei’. English menu.
Uottori (225-2729; 325 Eki-mae-chō; meals from ¥2000; 11.30am-2pm, 5pm-midnight) This friendly Japanese chicken and fish specialist offers the usual yakitori and sashimi assortments as well as a few Himeji specialities. Oden flavoured with ginger soy sauce is a tasty local dish (¥80 per piece). Minced chicken baked in bamboo tubes pleases both the mouth and ears, as the bamboo squeaks and squeals as it splits from the heat (¥700). It’s just left of Len (above); look for the beige stucco facade. An ageing English menu is available.
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GETTING THERE & AWAY
A shinkaisoku on the JR Tōkaidō line is the best way to reach Himeji from Kyoto (¥2210, 91 minutes), Osaka (¥1450, 61 minutes) and Kōbe (¥950, 37 minutes). From Okayama, to the west, a tokkyū JR train on the San-yō line takes 82 minutes and costs ¥1450. You can also reach Himeji from these cities via the Tōkaidō/San-yō shinkansen line, and this is a good option for Japan Rail Pass holders or those in a hurry.
On the way to Himeji, take a look out the train window at the newly constructed Akashi Kaikyō Suspension Bridge. Its 3910m span links the island of Honshū with Awaji-shima, making it the longest suspension bridge in the world. It comes into view on the southern side of the train approximately 10km west of Kōbe.
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NARA
0742 / pop 369,000
The first permanent capital of Japan, Nara is one of the most rewarding destinations in the country. Indeed, with eight Unesco World Heritage Sites, Nara is second only to Kyoto as a repository of Japan’s cultural legacy. The centrepiece is, of course, the Diabutsu, or Great Buddha, which rivals Mt Fuji and Kyoto’s Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku-ji) as Japan’s single most impressive sight. The Great Buddha is housed in Tōdai-ji, a soaring temple that presides over Nara-kōen, a park filled with other fascinating sights that lends itself to relaxed strolling amid the greenery and tame deer.
Nara’s best feature is its small size: it’s quite possible to pack the most worthwhile sights into one full day. Many people visit Nara as a side trip from Kyoto – comfortable express trains link the cities in about half an hour. Of course, it’s preferable to spend at least two days here if you can. If your schedule allows for two days in Nara, you might spend one in Nara-kōen and the other seeing the sights in western and southwestern Nara.
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HISTORY
Nara is at the northern end of the Yamato Plain, where members of the Yamato clan rose to power as the original emperors of Japan. The remains of these early emperors are contained in kofun (burial mounds), some of which date back to the 3rd century AD.
Until the 7th century, however, Japan had no permanent capital, as Shintō taboos concerning death stipulated that the capital be moved with the passing of each emperor. This practice died out under the influence of Buddhism and with the Taika reforms of 646, when the entire country