Japan Pilgrimage II Day 4 - Guest Blogged by 浪迹天涯小狗

WARNING: Image Intensive..


Riding the Osaka Road Train around Osaka Castle Park!

Took the half hour 新幹線 from Kyoto Station to officially begin our exploration of Osaka!


Had our breakfast at Lotteria, in one of the Osaka stations, for a lack of other breakfast choices.
Yup, the animals are still not able to have one big bowl of ramen for breakfast like the locals!

After filling their stomach with not very outstanding stuff, the animals made our way to Osaka Castle, passing by a bunch of skyscrapers with unique architectures along the way.


NHK Osaka Broadcasting Station & Osaka Museum of History


法円坂 遺跡復原倉庫


Main Entrance to Osaka Museum of History & NHK


Osaka Metropolitan Police Headquarters


Moat of Osaka Castle & Rokuban-yagura Turrent


Osaka Castle Park. Vast open fields with the blue skies makes one want to lie down and simply empty the brains.


There was some family marathon going on when we were there and parents were seen running around with their tykes.





An eatery near the entrance of Hokoku Jinja in Osaka Castle Park.
You can spy the statue of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who ordered the building of the castle, if you squint your eyes..


There he is!

Haha! The animals were obviously distracted by the takoyaki stand and Osaka Castle that they simply walked past this monument without noticing.


Another part of the moat, the Karabori Dry Moat, with the greens since ancient times. Reasons unknown for keeping it dry..


Well curb of the Gimmeisui Well


Osaka Castle in sight~!


Former Headquarters of 4th Division of Imperial Japanese Army, ex-Osaka Museum of History, and now renamed as Treasure House.




A time capsule installed since 1970, to be opened 5,000 years later in 6970!
That is, if human civilisation still exist..


Couple of tourist traps and a place for relaxing your legs.


Main Tower of Osaka Castle!


Kinmeisui Well Roof


At the entrance to the main tower

Admission fee to the main tower is normally 600 yen for adults to visit the castle museum & observatory but its covered under the One-Day Osaka Unlimited Pass, with discounts on or packaged admissions to various Osaka attractions and including the fares for buses and trains, all going for 2000 yen.


Extracts from the description,"A signal gun, or noon marker. .. installed at Osaka Tempozan battery until the Meiji Restoration.. Beginning with the Meiji 3rd (1870), it has seen its use as a time signalling gun, at first fired thrice a day, until the Meiji 7th (1874), .. it has been employed as the noon marker. ... its use seems to have been terminated, sometime during the Taisho 12 or 13 (1923 or 1924)..."




View from observatory


Miniatures depicting The Summar War of Osaka


本町橋周辺の惣構堀, as per the description..

A couple of the floors prohibits the use of photography equipments so not much pictures here. There's also an area for visitors to try on the replicas of war outfits/kimonos for some ka-ching! (300 yen per person per outfit per photo).


Mystery of the big stone wall.

The animals only realised the piece of wall with people crowding around it earlier was some important wall when they saw this display.. (-_-;)


Here's the special stone wall. Takoishi Stone
Word has it that it is the largest single piece of stone in the castle and makes one wonder how the transportation and construction of how it is done.
Well, until the mystery was solved with the above.

The animals got a tad hungry and thirsty after all the history absorbing and they are obviously not going away without some takopachis.


Azunyan points at the tako balls and says its good.


Mugi got dressed up by RR with Azunyan's neko ears.


Mugi recommends them too!. Takopachis~ #2 (Just trying to track the number of times we had takopachis in Japan.. HAHA)
Think those go for 500 yen if my memory doesn't fail me.


Osaka Castle Park Road Train that works somewhat like a shuttle bus.
We were late for the round trip and since we're rushing for time, we took it for a couple of km just for the experience.


UFO water purification system
The bunch of them stood there for a couple of minutes wondering what that foreign object in the waters was until Mistress spotted the poster.


Birdy's friends..


..etched into time. Very unique barricades I shall say.


Some trees in the park which were all slanting in one direction even though there's no buildings around to obstruct the sunlight.


Spotted an ojisan rollerblading relaxingly away.


Osaka Castle Park Fountain

Departed the Osaka Castle grounds and made our way to Shitennoji, not before getting a bit lost amongst the rows of houses that blocks our shortie view of the pagoda. Birdy almost mistakenly entered a graveyard situated near the temple!


The fascinations of a city kid.. yet again..


Daikokudo


Kodo in the background


Rokujido


Hey! That dog's like me!! Being carried around not needing to walk~


Kameido


Kitaganedo


The exterior of walls enclosing Gojyuto and Kondo.


Gojyuto


Kondo


Well maintained stone garden


Ancient roof tiles, probably from the original temple.


Lanterns lined the perimeter of the area.


Agyo and Ungyo, Nio deities at Chumon Gate

After the Shitennoji visit, the animals decided to proceed to Tsutenkaku on foot as it looks near from the map, but once again, they were unable to spot the tower from their heights! Had to venture a couple of streets before the tower became their navigating tool.


A shop selling kame egg pastries just outside Shitennoji.
Its basically those kuey barus that we have in SG/MY baked in a kame mould.


Cute but very normal tasting.


Statues that loomed at a nearby structure.

After some rain and flustered walking, passing by Tennoji Park and Tennoji Zoo, we arrived in the vicinity of Tsutenkaku. A couple of shopping streets branched out from Tsutenkaku, most noteably the Shinsekai district. Billiken-san, the mascot of the area can be spotted with every few steps.


Sinseikai


Tsutenkaku



We went for late late lunch at Osho located at the base of Tsutenkaku. Being one of the traditional eateries where the kitchen and dining area are together, we hurriedly finished our food and got out of the place to prevent getting all stinked up.

Took us 45 min of queuing before we could reach the observatory deck, and with the smart thinking of the management, the gachapon machines lining the perimeter of the deck where we were queuing stole quite a few 100 yen coins from us.


View from observatory deck


Tsutenkaku robot

We had to abort our plans to the floating observatory as it was raining and the wind threatens to freeze us in our steps, so we went walking around the Nanba ward and eventually looking for some food before we go back.



Decided on okonomiyaki since its an Osaka specialty and going away without eating it just doesn't sound right. Had to queue for a while for this restaurant, which seems to be the only one serving okos around.



Mistress got bored waiting for the okos to be ready.



The store assistant preparing it for us. Reminds me of Touya from CCS.


okos, before and after garnishing.


Some pork meat appetitiser.


Yaki.. noodles that are wrapped in omelette later on.

Thankfully the food was great for the stinking hair and clothes and the ride back to our hostel.

Very tiring day for the animals, having covered quite a few places to fully optimise the little hours they have in Osaka. Mistress is happily sticking salonpases away again~