This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/WobblyPudd1ng on 2024-12-03 01:56:45+00:00.

Just returned from a trip to the Hyogo region - Thought I would leave this here as a reference for others. (Sorry for the lousy formatting - typed this on my phone)

Day 1 - Landed in KIX, Headed for Kobe

• Cleared custom at KIX and left straight for Kobe via the JR Osaka loop line + Tokaido Sanyo Line
• Had dinner at Sannomiya area - とんかつ七兵衛 三宮店 - awesome miso tonkatsu and katsudon (Credits to @japaneat on YouTube for Kobe food recommendations - check out the channel here - )

Day 2 - Kobe (Herb garden, Nunobiki falls) > Himeji (Sannomaru Square)

• Took the gondola up to the herb gardens which was a pretty nice place for a morning stroll.
• Bought the return ticket initially as it was raining but as the rain subsided we decided to trek down towards Nunobiki falls which ended up being the highlight of the day. There was a restaurant (おんたき茶屋) on the way down overlooking the area but decided to forgo it in view of time.
• Left for Himeji via the Tokaido Sando line
• Grabbed dinner near Gofukumachi and went to see a night view of Himeji castle from Sannomaru Square

Day 3 - Himeji (Mt Shosha, Himeji Castle)

• Left early for Mt Shosha via the Ropeway - definitely the highlight for me in Himeji; Awesome to see the area with the autumn leaves all around
• Grabbed a late lunch from the combini and left for Himeji castle / Koko-en before it was closed for the day
• Left Himeji castle around sunset; dinner and called it a day

Day 4 - Himeji > Takeda

• Spent some time in the morning exploring the area around Himeji station
• Took the Bantan Line bound for Takeda. Always enjoyed the rides towards the countryside
• Checked in at our accoms in Takeda and left for nearby Wadayama station to stock up on supplies before our early climb to Takeda castle the following day.
• Ended up walking for 15-20mins to the nearest supermart in the rain; On our way back it was completely dark but we managed to find a small eatery (お食事処 ゆめじ) still open for dinner (Tsukesoba was awesome)

Day 5 - Takeda (Takeda Castle) > Kinosaki Onsen

• Woke up before the break of dawn for the climb up Takeda Castle; the steep climb was made difficult with the morning rain and recent cold wave (it was only 5°C during the climb), but it was all worth it for the view at the top
• Didn’t manage to see the sea of clouds due to the cold wave though 😔
• Descended around late morning, ended up at Hyomai shrine and hiked to the nearby Lawson for some hot coffee
• Went back to the accoms, rested until our next train time and left for Kinosaki Onsen via the Bantan Line + San-In Line
• Dropped our luggage off; went up the Kinosaki Onsen ropeway and ended up hiking down from Onsenji station
• Checked in, grabbed our Onsen pass from our accoms and went Onsen hopping in the 6 available public onsens (Satano-yu is still undergoing renovation)
• Had an hearty sukiyaki teishoku dinner at 創作料理 near the train station

Day 6 - Kinosaki Onsen

• Checked out of our first accoms in Kinosaki Onsen and checked in to our first Ryokan (あさぎり荘) for the trip
• Did an impromptu trip to toyooka and bought some お土産 (slightly cheaper than the Kinosaki Onsen region); More Onsen hopping
• Had an awesome kaiseki meal at the Ryokan in our rooms (steamed crab was was perfect)

Day 7 - Kinosaki Onsen > Miyazu (Ine day trip)

• Checked out early after breakfast at our Ryokan and left for Miyazu via the San-In line + Tantetsu line (Unable to use the IC card on the Tantetsu line)
• Checked in at our Ryokan in Miyazu (which was in a museum) and left for Ine via the bus from Miyazu station
• Enjoyed the seaviews and the seaside town vibes at Ine (Views from Ine Cafe and Funaya-no-sato park were great)
• Headed back to Miyazu and had a cheap but delicious dinner at 回転寿司 金ぱ銀ぱ (conveyor belt sushi - only one outlet in Japan from what I can find)

Day 8 - Miyazu > Amanohashidate > Osaka

• Checked out early after breakfast and left for Amanohashidate where we stored our luggage
• Walked across Amanohashidate park; went up to Amanohashidate Viewland via the chair lift
• Took a highway bus from Amanohashidate back to Osaka around noon. Was lucky to secure seats without reservation and broken Japanese

Day 8-10 - Osaka

• Spent the time at Osaka doing the usual stuff (Dontonbori - the crowds were crazy compared to my previous trip 6 years prior; Shopping and getting lost in the labyrinth called Umeda station, trying Glitch Coffee Osaka, etc)
• Eating my favourite takoyaki from たこ焼道楽わなか (Awesome takoyaki chain in Osaka)

Main takeaway from this trip

• Book highway buses in advance as much as possible. I still can recall the anxiety from waiting at the bus stop in Amanohashidate; hoping for an empty seat.

-If you are heading to the countryside: -> Bring sufficient cash and keep some loose change on hand (especially when paying for transportation) ->Pack light if you are not driving; Accomodations in the countryside can be quite far from the city center or train station . (Brought a Osprey Farpoint 55 for the whole trip)

• Waterproof (or at least water-resistant) jackets are lifesavers in autumn, given the perpetual light rain. The Uniqlo Blocktech jacket did me good on this trip