Osaka, Japan

Tuesday, April 16, 2019    Osaka, Japan     3^rd largest city in Japan

Our ship pulled into Tempozan Pier at 8:00am. Today was a blue sky day with temps in the 70s….nice! 

                                         Our California friends, Mark and Julie Martini and me

We walked to the Osaka-ko station about a half mile away, taking the green line metro to the Tanimachi 4-Chome stop. Purchasing a ticket was a breeze….it provided English. 

                                  Walking toward the castle we passed by an old storage house.

                                                Another contrast of the old and new architecture

                                  From this stop we walked to the Osaka Castle (1583). 

                                        Cherry blossoms were at their peak…absolutely beautiful. 

We walked through the Otemon Gate, the main entrance of the castle, taking pictures of the Sengan-yagura and Tamon-yagura Turrets. 

                                             It was so picturesque....we took a zillion pictures!

                                                               Guardhouse for the castle

                                                                  Another guardhouse.

     The Osaka Castle was right in the middle of the city....modern structures were all around it.

                                               Passing through an entrance gate

                                              What a mammoth rock....how did they ever place it here?
We passed by the Takoishi Stone, the largest stone in Osaka Castle(5.5 meters high and 11.7 meters wide with the estimated weight of 108 tons)

                                                 First glimpse of the castle....WOW!
                          We spent the whole morning enjoying this ancient compound.  

The impressive stone walls that are surrounded by a moat are said to be the highest walls in Japan.

We entered the Main Tower taking the elevator to the 5th floor and walking up the remaining 3 steep floors.

Upon reaching the 8^th floor we walked outside to take in the incredible cityscape of Osaka in all four directions. Osaka is a very modern city…almost nothing is old. The city was almost completely destroyed during WWII. 

                                                  Looking over the castle gardens 

The inside of the castle had several floors of antiquities from the past. This antique screen painting was exquisite.We walked down each floor walking through a museum of exhibits relating to the castle. It was interesting to see the Shogun helmets and gear. Grand displays of the Samurai Lord’s home were in miniature displays. This castle played a major role in the reunification of Japan during the 16^th century and remained a power center for the country until WWII.

Which is the  real shogun warrior? Of course the statue is only a representative.

We passed through a gate to see the temple across from the castle.

                                            Walking through the castle gardens was delightful!

 We walked through the incredible Japanese Gardens of the castle with spring blossoms popping out all over. How fantastic was that!

We were in the tip top of the castle just moments ago.

                                             One final look at the castle before heading on

We had the best cherry blossom day ever today! How fortunate we are!

During the afternoon we took the purple line to T26 to see the Shitennoji Temple (AD 593)….considered the first Buddhist temple and the oldest Shrine in Japan. Although it has been destroyed by fire five times, it was rebuilt many times in its long history. Rebuilt in 1965, excavations have shown the current layout to be very true to its original design. 

                                                      Are they enjoying this sunny day?

            We passed by a cemetery on the compound grounds. The picturesque architecture was a delight!

We found our way back to the metro and took the green line back to the ship. What ancient history we learned about today! What a fantastic day! It is just so amazing to be able to explore and take in the wonders of this country! Tomorrow….Kochi, Japan awaits with a whole new day to explore on this wonderful Earth!