-
Discover the Best Kobe Beef Bowl Near Himeji Castle
If traveling to Himeji to visit the fantastic Himeji Castle, Kushiyaki Kobe Beef, a tiny restaurant located on Otemae Street, is a place you will defintely want to stop by to grab lunch or dinner to sample their kobe beef bowl!
Table of Contents
Kushiyaki Kobe Beef
This tiny hole in the wall restaurant has an ideal location if you’re visiting Himeji Castle. If you’re coming from Osaka or Kyoto on a day trip you’ll most likely be coming in from the Himeji Station. Once you leave the station, the main street it exits to is Otemae Street which will take you right to Himeji Castle.
Conveniently located on the left hand side right before you cross the street over to the castle grounds is where Kushiyaki is located.
This is a very tiny location, with a counter top and six total seats within it. You can also order something to go from the window in the front of the store, which is what I did since there was no seating available at the time I went. One of the most popular items sold is the kobe beef bowl.
As the name would imply, Kushiyaki Kobe Beef has a menu featuring kobe beef items. They also have wagyu and karubi items as well. The menu here is pretty small with skewers, rice bowls, and hamburgers, but that’s all they really need.
The burgers here were quite tempting. I mean a wagyu and kobe beef burger? Sounds pretty amazing, but I really wanted to enjoy and savor the meat itself, so I went with the kobe beef bowl – 2,400 yen, $14.93.
The Kobe Beef Bowl
The bowl itself is not very large. Since this was kobe beef I wasn’t expecting to be getting a huge portion though. It’s a simple dish: about 8 slices of kobe beef over a bed of rice with teriyaki sauce and some garnish. I was definitely excited to dig into this!
To put it simply the kobe beef was AMAZING. THe meat is grilled medium rare. It’s lightly seasoned, just seemed salted but that’s all it needs. It’s extremely tender, juicy, and literally melts in your mouth. There really isn’t much chewing involved. The meat literally melts in your mouth. I can’t recall having any kind of beef like this before. It was certainly an experience.
The rice of course goes well with this and adds some filler. It’s great that they drizzle some teriyaki sauce over it to add some flavor but keep it separated fromt the kobe beef. You really want to savor the kobe beef itself so it’s nice that the don’t put any teriyaki sauce over it.
Is Kushiyaki Kobe Beef Worth A Visit?
If you’re going to Himeji Castle, I definitely recommend stopping by and grabbing the kobe beef bowl. This is legit kobe beef and worth every penny. While the servings are fairly small for the price point, the quality of the kobe beef makes it well worth it. I’ve paid more money at a sitdown grill and gotten the cheapest kobe beef option that was double this amount and the kobe beef was far and away better at Kushiyaki Kobe Beef.
If you’re looking for something light than this will be a perfect appetizer on the way to the castle or for a light meal after you’ve toured it. With it being so close to the castle and the shop having to go orders, it makes it very convenient to grab a quick delicious bite to eat!
Kushiyaki Kobe Beef
Address: Japan, 〒670-0012 Hyogo, Himeji, Honmachi, 68 にの屋敷 D 2
Hours:
Monday 11 AM–5:30 PM Tuesday 11 AM–5:30 PM Wednesday 11 AM–5:30 PM Thursday 11 AM–5:30 PM Friday 11 AM–5:30 PM Saturday 11 AM–5:30 PM Sunday 11 AM–5:30 PM -
Towering Himeji Castle Is One Of Japan’s Great Wonders
Himeji Castle, the world heritage site, is Japan’s best preserved feudal castle. Also known as the White Heron Castle due to its elegant white sheen, Himeji Castle is considered to be Japan’s greatest castle, for good reason.
Table of Contents
Himeji Castle
One of the 12 remaining original castles from Japan’s past, Himeji Castle is the country’s most famous and most visited as well. Early fortifications for the castle were completed in the 1400s with the main castle being completed in 1609.
Luckily, the castle has survived World War II, fires, and earthquakes and remains intact over the duration of hundreds of years.
The grounds here are quite expansive. Prior to entering the grounds you’ll cross over the outer moat via the Sakuramon-bashi Bridge and most likely enter through the Otemon Gate.
Once you enter through the gate you get the full view of Sannomaru Square. This is a HUGE lawn area with cherry blossom trees lined around it. As one would imagine, this area becomes quite popular around cherry blossom season. It must be quite the spectacle to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom with the castle in the distance. This area is also free to roam around.
As you approach the castle you get to the paid area which has booths in the front. The entrance fee is 1000 yen ($6.26 USD) or you can get a combined entrance fee (1050 yen, $6.57 USD) which includes the castle and nearby Kokoen Garden.
Once you enter the castle grounds you’ll be amazed at how intricate the layout is. There’s many different zig-zagging narrow pathways that lead to the main keep. This was designed as a defense mechanism to confuse would be intruders on their way to the keep. It can be a little confusing just walking around as a tourist with signs so I can only imagine what it would be like with no signage anywhere. These pathways lead through a total of 21 gates within the grounds. At it’s peak, the grounds had over 80 total.
There are two main bailey’s which you can actually walk through. The main keep and the residence of the former princess. The residence is a long building with mulitple empty rooms which is located to the west of the main keep.
The grounds of the princess’s residence 
A hallway within the princess residence Once you make your way through the princess residence it’s off to the main keep.
The main keep is six stories with each floor getting progressively smaller and smaller. The floors are accessed by narrow, steep staircases and are sparsely furnished. Even without furnishing it’s quite a sight to see. The top floor provides nice views of the entire castle grounds. You can appreciate just how large and expansive they truly are.
They did a really good job in restoring this and preserving the look. Himeji Castle went under restoration work to preserve the castle buildings from 2010-2015. Not only does the main keep look magnificent, but the overall Himeji Castle grounds are truly amazing. It really gives you an idea of what the castle once looked like.
A view from around the castle area 
Is Himeji Castle Worth Visiting?
Himeji Castle is 100% worth visiting. It was a highlight of my trip. With how much access you have to wander around and how well preserved everything within the grounds are, it’s a special place to visit. Being able to walk within the main keep and to see it preserved to how it once was is just a really cool experience. You certainly will not be disappointed if you come here. It’s a perfect day or half-day trip from Osaka or Kyoto as well.
