Earlier this year, I finally set foot in Japan, a country that has fascinated me for as long as I can remember. I spent three weeks exploring, visiting 12 of its 48 prefectures. In this post, I’ll share my experiences in Kurashiki in Okayama Prefecture and Himeji, home to the iconic Himeji Castle in Hyogo Prefecture. Kurashiki Kurashiki, a charming historic city near Okayama, the prefectural capital, is best known for its beautifully preserved Bikan Historical Quarter. White-walled, tile-roofed warehouses line a scenic canal, earning the city the nickname the “Venice of Japan.” Once a bustling centre for rice distribution during the Edo period, Kurashiki now blends traditional architecture with…