Hyogo
Travel plans
Inland Hyogo: The Pottery Town of Tamba-Sasayama, Black-Bean Country & the 'Castle in the Sky' at Takeda — 2 Days
A day in the castle town of Tamba-Sasayama — the reconstructed Oshoin hall, the black-gabled Kawaramachi merchant street, a black-soybean lunch and the Tamba-ware pottery village of Tachikui, with a night in a dispersed heritage hotel — then the 'castle in the sky' at Takeda and the Ikuno Silver Mine in the Asago hills
Awaji Island: Tadao Ando's Architecture, Island Flower Fields, the Birthplace Shrine of Japan & the Naruto Whirlpools — 2 Days
Across the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge to Awaji — Tadao Ando's Yumebutai and its hundred-stepped garden, the sea-facing flower terraces of Hanasajiki, a night at the Ando-designed Grand Nikko resort — then the creation-myth shrine of Izanagi and the Naruto whirlpools off the island's southern tip
Kinosaki Onsen & the Tajima Coast: Seven Hot-Spring Baths, the Soba Town of Izushi & the Basalt Caves of Genbudo — 2 Days
An evening in Kinosaki Onsen — the willow canal in yukata, a soak in one of the seven public baths, the ropeway to Onsenji and a night in a heritage ryokan — then the basalt caves of Genbudo and the soba castle-town of Izushi in the Tajima hills
Himeji & Western Harima: Japan's Greatest Castle, the Mountain Temple of Engyo-ji & the 47 Ronin of Ako — 2 Days
A full first day at Himeji Castle and the Koko-en garden, an anago-eel lunch and the mountaintop temple of Engyo-ji on Mount Shosha — then west into old Harima for the soy-sauce town of Tatsuno and the 47-ronin castle town of Ako
First-Time Hyogo: Kobe's Port City, Kitano Mansions, Kobe Beef & the Gold Springs of Arima Onsen — 2 Days
A day in Kobe — the Kitano foreign mansions, a Kobe-beef teppanyaki lunch, the Nunobiki herb-garden ropeway, the Nada sake breweries and the harbour Port Tower — then up Mount Rokko and down into Arima Onsen for the gold springs and a historic ryokan
Hyogo travel guides
Awaji Island Guide 2026: Tadao Ando, Flowers & Naruto Whirlpools
Himeji Castle Guide 2026: Japan's Greatest Keep, Engyo-ji & Ako
Kinosaki Onsen Guide 2026: Seven Baths, Izushi Soba & Genbudo
Kobe & Arima Onsen Guide 2026: Port City, Kobe Beef & Gold Springs