Thanks, someotherguy.....I hope there are handrails in many places....have you done Yamadera? If so, how would you compare it? I thought Yamadera was not too bad but I don't walk with a cane....not discussing old and feeble... ;-)

I will take the train to BitchuTakahashi station. The Shuttle taxi is there as far as I understand as per link I posted above. The advantage of the shuttle is it's 500 JPY each way as against 1500 JPY for a private taxi according to japan-guide's page....so I will save 2000 JPY....that's dinner.

The schedule gives you almost two hours there, but that includes walking from the ridge which I assume is the same place a private taxi goes....j-g says it takes twenty minutes to walk from there....took you an hour....we'll see...

someotherguy-Thanks for the info on the castle. You're my role model-If you can move, then move.

Mara, I've not done Yamadera--precisely because I thought it would be beyond me. I'll be most interested if you can offer a comparison when you return from BitchuTakahashi.

Okay, someotherguy!