A deeper look at Himeji
Himeji Castle had only ever been covered as part of the combined Kobe-Himeji day trip guide. It now has its own dedicated page going into why it's genuinely rare among Japanese castles — mostly original construction rather than a concrete reconstruction — and what the White Heron nickname actually refers to.
Also new this week
Day Trips added the Hozugawa river boat ride near Kyoto, a scenic gorge trip ending right at Arashiyama. Culture covered Japanese New Year customs — osechi ryori, kadomatsu, otoshidama — visible across Osaka in the days around January 1st.
A note on the Japanese translation
About added a short, honest page on how the Japanese version of this site is being built and prioritised — worth reading if you're following the /ja/ section's progress.