10 Things You Must Know Before Moving to Himeji (Don’t Bother Packing Your Suitcase for Everything)

here’s the thing about moving to himeji: it’s not like any other place you’ve.iteratored before. maybe that’s good? maybe it’s bad. i don’t know. i do know the castle. i saw it at 2 a.m. after drinking too much matcha. the lights were on in the tower, which is weird because the guide said ‘no tours after sundown.’ turns out, they forgot to tell the staff. moral of the story? ask questions.
















himeji castle’s unspoken rules, for example. don’t touch anything. no joke. the floors are cold, the corridors smell like mildew and centuries of ‘please preserve my legacy’ sighs. locals will whisper about it if you linger. once, a old man in a bathrobe motioned me to leave because i was taking photos of the stone lanterns. he didn’t say why, but he had a look like he’d rather be anywhere else.
















everyone talks about rent in himeji. but listen, it’s not all dry numbers. let’s say you’re a d.n. (digital nomad) like me. you’ll spend ¥60,000-¥80,000 a month on a place that’s basically a tiny box with a view of the leurs. but here’s the kicker: the diseño district is a trap. those two-bedroom places with one kitchen drawer and a fridge that makes your tea cold are deceiving. i ended up in a 500-year-old machiya townhouse. it’s amazing-wood beams, tatami mats, but also a narrow toilet. bring your own shower curtain.

to compare, a one-bedroom apartment near the station is ¥50,000. it’s fair. but factor in international internet. it’s spotty in some areas. i found one café with reliable wifi. it’s now my wfh (work from home) spot. their matcha latte is good, but their couch is infested with ants. i won’t tell you the name.
















himeji’s job market is… interesting. if you’re a writer, translator, or part-time barista, you’ll find work. the english schools here pay well. i teach kids hiragana for 15 hours a week. it’s childcare work, but it pays ¥15,000 a day. if you’re in tech, though? run. the startups here are either based on a fisherman’s porch or a hacker who lives in a mountain cabin. no mid-sized companies here.
















the weather? it’s this weird, persistent mist that makes the castle look like it’s dipped in chimney smoke. you’ll plan a hike and find the trails completely invisible. or you’ll go skiing in december and realize himeji isn’t on the mountain. but hey, the hills nearby are quick drives away. there’s a ridge with bags of rice fields at 30 minutes by car. on a clear day, you can see osaka from there. thinks that’s cozy? okay, yeah.















here’s the thing about neighbors: they’re either super quiet or aggressively loud. my complex has a guy who plays mahjong every morning at 6. his dice clatter worse than a toddler’s toy box. then there’s the elderly man who wateres his bamboo every night. his hose is longer than my arm. i’ve never seen him move. but his bamboo is thriving. i’m not sure if it’s magic or grudge magic.















here’s some drunk advice from a local bar tab: don’t eat at the station food court after 9. it’s haunted by a executive who lost a bet and now haunts the conveyor belt sushi. another rumor? the public baths around the castle are open 24/7. don’t believe it. they’ll fine you for using the locker room after midnight. i tried once. got a pamphlet that said, ‘this is a cultural heritage site, not a sauna.’
















check out these links for more chaos: TripAdvisor Himeji Castle, Yelp for the Best Matcha in Himeji, Reddit r/japanexpats, and Himeji City Official Site.
















so is himeji for you? maybe. it’s not modern, but it’s not backwards either. the people here are weird, but in a good way. like, they’ll lend you a chopstick because you’re ‘lost’ in a convenience store. or they’ll play jump rope while you try to assemble your airbnb. take the subway. it’s old but it works. and if you’re single, the dating app scene here is like a vending machine-you never know what you’ll get.
















if you’re moving here, buy a raincoat. even in july. the steam from the castle’s tea ceremony garden will drench you. also, ask a local where the ‘quietest’ coffee shop is. i found one. it’s closed on tuesdays. but i don’t care. i’ll drink bitter coffee and watch the rain all day just to stay there.
















photo of himeji castle at night by unsplash:

another hillside building that is not a castle by unsplash: