JAPAN's Real Life Castle in the Sky

In this last video of my trip to the Kansai region where I went to Osaka, Himeji and now Asago to see Takeda Castle (or 竹田城), I got up at 5 in the morning to see Takeda Castle from a distance at the Ritsuunkyo Parking Lot. Takeda Castle when viewed from a distance in the morning will often be surrounded by mist in the morning and give it an appearance like it's floating in the sky, like Laputa Castle in the Sky.
I headed to the parking lot with a new friend I met at the hostel the night before who was also in town to do the same thing as me. When we got to the Ritsuunkyo Parking Lot, there were already quite a few people there already and we got treated to an excellent view of the castle as we had hoped. The castle at one point was completely submerged in clouds. We then explored some surrounding trails and headed back down.
We split up once we got to Takeda Station, and I had to figure out how to get back home to Tokyo. Since the trains didn't run that often, I headed to a different station called Wadayama Station. It was a pretty great morning and the empty train station had a great feel. The kindergarten had a bunch of kids waving to the train as it arrived on the platform which I thought was hilariously cute.
That train took me to Kyoto, I had to switch trains once, and then the Shinkansen (bullet train) took me the rest of the way back to Tokyo.
There is more to come, but this is the end of the Kansai journey. Thank you for watching!
JAPAN 2019 Full Playlist:
• Japan 2019
MUSIC CREDITS:
Mystic Ambience by Robby Huang
Evening Amber by Robby Huang
EQUIPMENT USED:
Panasonic GH5 - amzn.to/2CfH9YN
Panasonic 12-35mm f2.8 - amzn.to/1FRE9kc
Panasonic 8-18mm f2.8 - amzn.to/2FxVIer
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[@ibnawesome]

Wish this was on the Trending page instead of the trash on there lately

[@cinejeff]

I like the feeling of being alone in that people-less village

[@zeroman2343]

You deserve a lot more subscribers. This is top notch quality content.

[@osuiro5206]

Agree

[@milkers7919]

There's something beautiful about American and German strangers becoming friends while visiting Japan. 70 years ago it would have sounded like the start to a bad joke.

[@vii3073]

Another great job Robby. I’m starting to wish you live in Japan so that we can get more of these type of vlogs. Well, I like your regular vlogs as well.

[@williambeck6364]

Mysterious, haunting music. Great job, Robby!

[@DrewCantSkate]

I turned on notifications for these vlogs, because just like adventure archives they are so damn good.

[@cesarfernando7239]

i guess im asking randomly but does any of you know of a way to get back into an Instagram account?? I stupidly lost my password. I would appreciate any tips you can offer me.

[@tomasvihaan1048]

@Cesar Fernando instablaster :)

[@jb0258]

Lmao at the train announcer at the end. It almost felt like he was doing it on purpose

[@thepagemaster1436]

The spiders are just like the ones in Zelda! Of coarse there's a hanging spider at both stair cases 🤦‍♂️

[@ruthtuesday]

Thank you for sharing your trip to Japan. I can't get enough of your Japan vlogs. Your travels there are extremely fascinating and entertaining.

[@nick4897]

Been on a week long binge of watching your vlogs, good stuff man keep up the hard work!

[@uptrail7169]

Wow! Now this was some of your best video footage ever. 👍

[@MrFloris]

Feeling sick and travelling is a blah combo. Glad you powered through it.

[@etherdog]

Robby, thanks for naming the locations and making great videos. Eat well!

[@Jasonmoofang]

Man, there's something about the excitement of travel that makes me think I can get away with sleeping less and then it comes back to bite me. I have found Shinkansens to be very good for napping though, much more so than planes anyway.

[@jdfillyisvicepres]

Hey Robby! Thanks for sharing your Japan Vlogs, they are very fun to watch. I catch myself watching them multiple times! I was able to go to Japan in January of this year so your videos definitely brings back fond memories

[@Righteous1ist]

AWESOME place

[@alant.541]

I guess the early bird does get the worm. Thanks for waking up at 5 am to get that shot of the floating castle. I admire your dedication. Looking forward to your next vlog.

[@danielm6803]

I lived in Wadayama for 12 months. I only left in March. It was a beautiful town. I loved the station surrounds

[@yasukiwi]

I took the train from Himeji to Kinosaki Onsen last year and also changed trains here. The rural Bantan Line is one of my favs in Japan. Love the old Loco shed ruins.

[@jason_from_canada]

That floating castle looked amazing! Got to watch out for those station spiders! 😱🕷🕸 Robby, the train station otaku. 😁👍

[@chantall7285]

Hahahaha thanks for those bloopers at the end!

[@happiness4vr]

Majestically breathtaking. 👍❤

[@747urhdh]

my friend, what an awesome video!! thank you for putting this out. I also ventured out to Takeda jo about 6 years ago. I was actually inspired by the Akira Kurosawa film, Ran. Some of the movie was shot along the ruins. Anyways, i had the same feelings you had up on that isolated mountain. you refered to it as an unlonely solitude or something, YES!! haha. it was like a ghost town when i visited as well, almost as if i had it all to myself. I wanted to mention the train getting there was so old compared to everything else i had used in japan, and i loved it!classic. haha. what trip haha. thanks for the video!! all my best.

[@BoltonBolt]

I love these vlogs!

[@lexipau]

I saved a playlist of all your Japan trips because they are my favorites and also you music is always good, I am inspired to start writting my own music as well.

[@RikiProsper]

Awesome video dude. Keep it up

[@AY-sp4nn]

Great video Robby Huang!!!

[@cronostasium5359]

That castle in a sea of clouds was absolutly incredible, I really wanna go there one day.

[@KT2585]

I live on a small island that is part Japan...I love seeing where you travel...it gives me inspiration on places to travel myself

[@DJGenki]

Magnificent :)

[@RaymondwLin]

I can relate 100% on the lack of vegetables part, unless you cook your one meals, if you just eat out...sushi, ramen, gyoza, yaki niku etc I am just not getting my usual diet of veg. Any veg that there is are often just pickled in small portions or more on a garnish than a real portion. It got to a point usually after a week my body would scary screaming for some veg so I end up spend money on some overpriced grapes.

[@chrislee7222]

@7:38 I understand you FULLY on that statement. That's exactly how I felt at different country side stations in Japan.

[@RobbyHuang]

Yes!

[@MichioMakes]

Not just you noticing the lack of veggies in Japan. My wife noticed it 100% and we craved vegetables near the end of our trip.

[@myneighbortotoro5163]

While watching this, I couldn't help think of the film Your Name ( Kimi no Na wa.), Then I saw this @8:00 and it blew my mind. I loved the video btw.

[@kalai_doscope]

Wow, great Miyasaki vibes. Love from India!

[@ricardojmartins89]

Very beautifull very nice man. Yeah i do it a lot. Just go to the grocery store buy some vegetables and eat theme raw. Thanks for the vlog. See you in the next one.

[@stevepaul9452]

Wow

[@Andy1076]

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! It's real!! it's real!! will it take off?? 😁

[@IreneTivz]

I got that feeling of getting up early for the trip. It is exhausting at the end of the day.

[@shaestarr13]

I love your Japan videos! That stinks that you got sick! Reminds me of the time you guys went to Germany and all got sick. 😒

[@osuiro5206]

I love the choice of music!!! Especially at the beginning. What is it called?

[@soothingsounds3836]

Those kindergartens, they're so cute ☺️

[@tomservo9254]

I passed by this town on the train a couple of years ago while traveling from Kinosaki-Onsen down to Himeji. Probably should have stopped off for a few hours tbh.

[@TheMadisonHang]

@6:38 this guy lol hahah i wish I had the balls to do that

[@SushiLeader]

The lack of vegetables surprised me too...try one of those pork katsu places where they give you unlimited cabbage haha

[@FindecanorNotGmail]

I am starting to think that the vegan youtubers in Japan have given me a wrong impression of Japanese cuisine in that regard..

[@yasukiwi]

@@FindecanorNotGmail There's always Koya Dofu from the Buddhist Monastery at Mt Koya, Wakayama LOL.

[@anniewu2963]

Can we visit the Takeda Castle? Is it just a castle or more of a little town? I want to know if the author use this place to make the movie Laputa Castle in the Sky? I love that cartoon movie!

[@733eel]

im looking for the cartoon where there on a train and a sleeping castle

[@3001jl]

you should climb mt fuji

[@00ta]

Robby, I recommend you stick to a railroad route. The bus isn't so accurate or comfortable.

[@AvidG]

I have been wondering, how do you keep your clothes clean? I don't see you washing in your videos

[@loconC2]

Thoughts on hiking Mt Fuji?

[@RobbyHuang]

Everyone has told me it's not that eventful or nice to look at, just a bunch of dirt. I will do it eventually just to have done it, but apparently I'm not missing much

[@nanxihins]

@@RobbyHuang try do a night bullet climb if u want a different not so boring mt Fuji experience! We did that last yr, it was serene at night on the mountain! It was also the night the typhoon was coming... we were 100m short of the peak and decided to get the hell down, was still drenched by the time we got down at 6am in the morning...

[@yasukiwi]

@@nanxihins Yeah my group stayed in the top hut overnight and did a dawn walk up. Amazing panorama but the mountain itself is nothing special. It's actually quite dangerous if you are not used to climbing. People every year get into distress from trying to go up too quickly.

[@jenw3994]

12:21😂

[@PhongNguyen-nr3vz]

lack of veg eh.. my boys gonna do great there :p

[@JeffIsAMan]

Hmmm.... and that was when Coronavirus was starting to spread.

[@KJ-iq7fm]

There are those who wear face/surgical-masks & those who do not. 😷🧐

[@yukine5466]

Oh, spiders are everywhere there in the station...arachnophobes are not welcome! :D

[@monkmodemalik8225]

Do more British accents

[@JapanScott1]

There's PLENTY of veggies in Japanese cuisine.... just all too often they are cooked way too much. About the only raw veggies you might find is cabbage when you order a plate of katsu. In school lunches, you will NEVER, EVER find raw veggies. :-(

[@RobbyHuang]

Mmmm, I'm gonna have to have you give me some citations on this one haha. Especially if we're talking restaurants and the like. It's all meat, fried stuff, and wheat. Even tempura, you get like one or two actually green vegetables and they're deep fried hahaha.

[@yasukiwi]

@@RobbyHuang You get Kabocha in tempura too.