Shinsekai is an older business district in Osaka. My sister in-law described it as Osaka’s Arthur Avenue, which makes more sense if you’ve been to both neighborhoods.
The odd looking figure is actually an American invention named Billiken, and the neighborhood lucky mascot. If Shinsekai is Arthur Avenue, then nearby Den Den Town is the old Canal Street with new and old electronics and parts. I didn’t get any worthy pictures, but many shops selling new and used equipment, parts and wiring, along with DVDs, cellphones and gaming systems. The entire island is a Shinto shrine dedicated to various goddesses, one of whom provided the design for a beautiful rice spoon (hence the giant spoon). The entire island is considered sacred, so the structures and torii gate are built on the tidal flat. At high tide the structures appear to be floating in the water. We arrived as the tide was ebbing, so got to see everything in the water and then after. If we had stayed a bit longer we could have walked out to the torii gate. The deer on the island are not to be fed by tourists. Probably because of that they were much less aggressive than the Nara deer, although there were still a few warning signs.
This vendor was selling two roasted oysters for 400 yen (about $4 USD). While just a simple walk-up, eateries in Japan that serve single courses are common. Last year and this year we had gyoza, takoyaki , okonomiyaki, yakitori and kushikatsu to name a few. Took the Shinkansen from Himeji to Hiroshima. Got there before dusk and toured some of the Peace Memorial Park. The next morning we toured the museum, very sobering and moving. Contains technical explanations of the bombing, first-hand accounts, artifacts, graphical pictures and representations of the tragedy. I would like to believe that if everyone could experience this place, we could end war.
Himeji Castle recently went through an extensive restoration, and is considered one of Japan’s premier castles. The scale is misleading, the first picture is from outside the outer wall, about 1/2 mile away. The fish are full size replicas of those on the roof. The fish are supposed to ward off fire. At the gate there are actors dressed in period costumes, their job is to pose for pictures. No fee or tips, there’s even a sign stating “free”. The tour involves lots of climbing, the stairs getting narrower and steeper each successive floor. The view is amazing. After all that climbing and walking, we deserved some ramen. Todai-ji is a large Buddhist temple complex in Nara, containing the largest bronze (15 meter) representation of Buddha Sidartha. The scale of the temple and statue is hard to convey through pictures, it really is massive. I believe the temple also encloses the largest space of any wooden structure. One of the temple columns has a hole cut into it said to be the same size as one of the nostrils; crawl through it and you are supposed to receive enlightenment in your next life. The deer are considered sacred messengers, and therefore it’s a crime to harass them. However, vendors sell crackers to tourists to feed the deer, which means they can get a bit aggressive. Many towns have mascots of some sort, Nara has a Buddha figure with antlers.
Most of my family opted for ramen for lunch. My son and I decided to try a Japanese hamburger at Mos Burger. The meat in Japan tends to have high fat content, so the inside of the burger turns white when cooked. Burger is tasty, different, the fries are more familiar. Monday morning we hiked up Mt. Hata Futi in Samaura Park. From there you can see the beach in Kobe, Osaka, and to the west is Akashi. The Akashi Kaikyo bridge has the longest suspended center span. In 1995, a devastating earthquake hit the region, which also shifted the suspension towers. The bridge, still under construction at the time, had to be modified to accommodate an extra meter of length. Off shore from Suma-ku is a pier with a fishing club, nearby you can see the kelp farms (rectangular patches in the water). In Sanomiya-cho we went to a Naamco Arcade and Eggnam. Only females are allowed in Eggnam, men have to be accompanied by a female. The entire arcade consists of photo booths which include green screens and computer kiosks to apply filters and backgrounds. My nieces gave me full lips and big dark eyes, hmmm, not sure how I feel about that. Last year we went to see Tetsujin 28, this year we disn’t stop but you can see the back of the statue from the train. I saw this warning sign at a public beach in Kobe. Essentially states don't expose your tattoos since they can seem threatening to others; tattoos are often associated with thuggish or criminal behavior such as yakuza. Last year we traveled to Japan and saw Tokyo, Akashi and Kobe. This year we toured 4 world heritage sites along with parts of Kobe we missed last year. This time we flew from Newark, past Rekjavik, Noril’sk, Beijing and a transfer in Hong Kong before landing in Osaka on March 20. This is the high speed ferry from Osaka-Kinsai to the Kobe. |
AuthorAspire to be a worldly traveler. Not as daring with trying new cuisines. Archives
April 2018
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