The first two images I saw of Japan as a young child were of Himeji Castle surrounded by cherry blossom and a Geisha standing on a small bridge. They awakened my fascination with the country, its history and its culture. From our first visit that fascination has continued to grow and I've returned at every opportunity. Across the country, we've discovered temples, castles, gardens and shrines that are hundreds of years old, some over a thousand years old but my first visit to this World Heritage site I will never forget.