3 months solo trip to Hyōgo prefecture, castle hunt

I (33M) am planning to go for a three months (September-November) solo trip to Japan, targeting Hyōgo prefecture. This will be my second visit after a three-month stay in Matsuyama, Ehime, back in the fall of 2019. I have some basic knowledge of the language.

 

Things I’m interested in:

– Castles – felt in love after Matsuyama and Imabari. This is exactly why I’ve picked Hyōgo – Himeji castle and Takeda castle are primary targets of this trip. I also plan to hit many other significant structures in the region. Don’t mind some of them being ruins or replicas.
– Tasting great food – in Japan this is basically a given so I’m not concerned with that
– Just walking around, sigtseeing and having fun exploring

Things I’m not really interested in:

– Shrines and temples
– Meeting other people, locals and expats alike – I’m an introvert and don’t mind being left on my own
– Onsens (don’t really like hot water)

 

I’m not a fan of huge, overwhelming cities such as Tokyo and their never-ending skyscraper jungle so I’m fine going to more obscure, less populated destinations. Matsuyama was of quite the optimal size, big enough to have all the attractions of a big Japanese city but compact enough you could reach the outskirts by foot.

 

A rough schedule:

– Kobe – 2 weeks
– Sumoto – 1 week
– Himeji – 2 weeks
– Asago – 2 weeks
– Toyooka – 1 week
– Fukuchiyama – 1 week
– Tamba – 1 week
– Himeji (again) – 2 weeks
– Kobe (again) – 1 week

I know that Fukuchiyama is outside of Hyōgo but it seems like a fitting detour to make the route around the prefecture more complete, especially since there’s a castle over there to visit.

 

Below is a list of things I’d like to see. (?) means I consider it optional, (!) is important, (!!!) is a must-see

 

**KOBE**

CASTLES

– Akashi Castle (!)
– Amagasaki Castle
– Hanakuma Castle ruins (?)
– Itami Castle

OTHER:

– Mount Rokko/Kikuseidai (!)
– Kitano
– Kobe City Museum (?)
– Itami City Museum of Insects (?)
– Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum (!)
– Kobe Maritime Museum
– Kobe Port Tower

While in Kobe I want to go to Osaka for a single day. I didn’t plan to visit but I’ve discovered there’s a temporary dinosaur exhibit (https://dino2023.exhibit.jp/en/highlight/) so I’ll go take a look since I happen to be nearby. I guess later I’ll try to visit Osaka castle too.

 

**SUMOTO**

CASTLES

– Sumoto Castle (!)

OTHER:

– Hanasajiki
– Yura Fortress (?)
– Naruto Whirpools (?)

 

**HIMEJI**

CASTLES:

– Himeji Castle (!!!)
– Akō Castle (!)
– Tatsuno Castle

OTHER

– Himeji City Aquarium (!)
– Mount Shosha

 

**ASAGO**

CASTLES:

– Takeda Castle (!!!)
– Yagi Castle

OTHER:

– Ikuno Ginzan Silver Mine (!)

 

**TOYOOKA**

CASTLES:

– Toyooka Castle site
– Izushi Castle (!)
– Arikoyama Castle ruins
– Konosumiyama Castle site (?)

OTHER:

– Genbudo Museum
– Kinosaki Marine World
– Kami Town (?)

 

**FUKUCHIYAMA**

CASTLES:

– Fukuchiyama Castle (!)

 

**TAMBA**

CASTLES:

– Sasayama Castle (!)
– Kuroi Castle (!)

  

Any feedback greatly appreciated.