by Stanley Baldwin O. See / Story & photos
Visiting Himeji Castle and eating beef in Kobe were only supposed to be “fillers” in my autumn trip to Japan. I had an open itinerary a day before going back to Manila and, with all the Osaka-related shopping for snacks and souvenirs already done, it was time to indulge in arguably the best beef in the world and immerse myself in more cultural treasures of the Land of the Rising Sun.
Kobe-Sannomiya Station is a brief, 30-plus; minute train ride on the JR Tokaido-Sanyo line from Umeda Station in Osaka. Acting on a tip from a friend had us on a gastronomic quest to find Steak Land, one of the popular establishments in the area which serves melt-in-your-mouth Kobe beef and steaks.
The early bird gets the beef
It is recommended, but not mandatory, to skip breakfast; what is required, though, is to line up 40 to 45 minutes before the kitchen doors open at 11 a.m. to be one of the first customers served. The lunch menu consists of five choices: small (¥1,080) or large (¥1,480) steak; small (¥1,980) or large (¥2,580) tender steak; or the Kobe beef steak (Y3,180) lunch.
The small steaks weigh 100 grams, while the steaks of the large and Kobe beef sets weigh 150 grams. All sets come with a cup of rice, miso soup, salad, grilled vegetables, Japanese pickles and a choice of after-meal coffee or orange juice. The addition of hors d’oeuvre and grilled seafood not only makes the dinner sets more luxurious than the lunch options but more expensive, as well.
The setup of Steak Land is similar to teppanyaki restaurants, where a hot-iron griddle is placed in front of the diners. The chef assigned to prepare and cook our Kobe beef set first sautéed garlic chips in butter before setting them aside to focus on the beef steaks. The cooking procedure was both poetry in motion, and a display of cooking science and precision, at the same time.
Every movement the chef made was graceful, yet efficient; seasoning the beef just enough to enhance the flavor while keeping track of the amount of time the steaks need to reach medium doneness. Once the top and bottom were seared, our part-artist, part-scientist chef split the steaks in two before cutting the strips into cubes.
Placing the cooked beef on a plate, the chef then proceeded to grill stalks of Chinese cabbage and bean sprouts on the same iron griddle; healthy and guilt-free side dishes to accompany the succulent beef cubes. The Kobe beef was as good as advertised: juicy, melt-in-your-mouth with solid beef flavor, even without any sauce or condiment.
Even though we wanted to take our time savoring the eight cubes of beef, the pieces must be ideally eaten within 10 to 15 minutes, as they will get cold and won’t taste as good as when they just left the cooking surface. Walking out of Steak Land and seeing the long lunch crowd lining up outside not only justified our choice, but also our decision to line up early.
A view to die for, literally
Forty-three minutes away from Kobe-Sannomiya train station is Himeji Station, the gateway to one of Japan’s national treasures—Himeji Castle. As the train made its way toward Himeji Station, we can already see the white, lime plaster appearance of the castle also known as Haruko (flying white egret) Castle.
The midafternoon sun shined brightly, making sure that the 14th-century, Unesco World Heritage castle was ready to welcome visitors armed with smartphone cameras. From the train station, tourists can either walk (1.8 kilometers, 20 to 25 minutes) or take the ¥100 Loop Bus from JR Himeji Station to the main gate (Otemon Mae) of Himeji Castle.
The castle is enclosed by a moat and sits on top of a hill overlooking the city of Himeji. The main keep (fortified tower in castles) was reopened to the public on March 27, 2015, and can be visited by the public for a fee of ¥1,000 (¥300 for children).
Before exploring the halls, rooms and corridors of the castle, we were required to take off our shoes, put them in provided plastic bags, and carry them throughout the tour. There are several placards filled with bits of information about the castle and its surroundings; documents pertaining to restoration efforts; and even small-scale replica of what Himeji City looked like centuries ago.
There are six levels inside the main keep, with each floor getting smaller and the wooden stairs getting steeper and harder to climb the higher we got. There are only two wooden pillars supporting the whole building, a marvel not only of Japanese engineering but of beauty, simplicity and elegance, as well.
Being the largest castle in Japan and because of its designation as a Special Historic Site, most locals, older ones in particular, not only visit Himeji Castle but also try to make six-story climb to the top floor. We had already witnessed an older gentleman fall unconscious at the Diamond Gate in the castle grounds when we saw another man in his 60s lying horizontally and getting first aid on the fourth level of the main keep.
The view from the top floor is actually restricted by wires and small windows; making taking photographs a challenge. But for Shinto believers, the Osakabe Shrine is worth the effort in climbing the cold, wooden stairs. Shinto followers say a little prayer before pulling a thick rope to ring a bell and making their way back down to the lower levels.
Visitors, who want to pass a little time after visiting Himeji Castle, can also visit the Himeji City Zoo, Museum of Art, or Koko-en—a garden built on the former site of Himeji Castle Nishi Oyashiki. All three attractions are around the perimeter of the castle and can be toured in a couple of hours.
One day really was not enough to explore everything that Hyogo prefecture had to offer, but I’m glad to have encountered two of its main attractions: Himeji Castle, and its famous Kobe beef. When I come back to Japan, I will make sure to allocate enough vacation time to learn and experience more of what Hyogo has to offer.