I went to see Himeji castle before the renovation and decided to swing by the garden before heading to Kobe. It was already almost winter so most of the leaves are already worn, but still the garden has strong character , I'm sure the garden is lovely after a night of snowfall. Would like to be able to visit one... More

This garden deserves more publicity. I went here shortly after visiting Korakuen in Okayama, and thought Kokoen was far better. Kokoen is a relatively recent garden that has been constructed in line with Edo gardening principles. It is made up of a set of 9 stroll gardens, which means you get 9 different garden types from one visit! Great value... More

Be sure to visit this garden when you are in Himeji to see the castle. It is located across the moat from the castle and is an easy walk. The garden is a fairly recent construction, but you wouldn't know that if they didn't point it out. It is divided into several different types of gardens with many different types... More

This excellent garden is a real treat. You can buy a combination ticket for entry to the castle and garden and then it is only a 5 minute walk from the castle bridge. The garden has an amazing outlook over the Carp pond and weaves it's way round different themed areas. When we went it wasn't too crawde3d even though... More