Yesterday I decided to take a trip down to Himeji, and there's really only two reasons you take a trip there: To see a temple used in the Last Samurai, or to see Himeji Castle. And seeing how I wasn't in the mood for a two-hour hike in the blazing hot sun, it's a safe bet I was there for the latter. And wouldn't you know it, I somehow managed to take pictures there too. It's like I'm a doofy American tourist or something.
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| Those from the 90's not welcome here |
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| Something doesn't seem quite right about this castle... |
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| We seem to have a critical misunderstanding of what a park is. |
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| Maybe it's a new coat of paint? |
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| Snazzy front entrance |
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| Fair warning, this is the day I decided portrait shots and things in the foreground were cool. |
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| Yeah, definitely a new coat of paint. |
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| Huh. Looks like they could only afford the front of the castle this year. |
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| I'm starting to doubt the existence of this here castle |
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| I think we're all the victims of a very expensive prank here. |
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| And then the tree jumped into the frame, ruining the best picture of all time. |
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| The walls here actually slope up to vertical for added stability and added climbing difficulty |
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| Like, one day they decided it was too expensive to have an actual castle |
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| And then somebody suggested just sticking a sheet over the silly thing |
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| A well where, according to tradition, a lady was dropped in for revealing the details of a coup to her lover. Harsh. |
A little video of the reconstruction work, as seen from an elevator.
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| I can't imagine what it's like to just tear off bits of a priceless national treasure. |
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| Sure, you're ultimately repair it, but just think of how easy it would be to slip up. |
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| Cross-section of the plaster they use for the walls. |
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| Scale models of the scaffolding and construction work |
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| The roof when it's finished. |
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| The roof mid-construction |
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| Okay castle, now you're just showing off |
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| Stop being so ludicrously photogenic |
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| Watch your head! |
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| Portrait shots are for WINNERS |
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| View from the entrance coming the other way |
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| And then there was this random festival at the train station when I got back. Huh. |
