Three museums in one day

Date: Wednesday 6^th January 2016

Weather: It was extremely cloudy. Dark grey clouds hung in the air and, as the day wore on, the visibility reduced. Still no rain though.

MP3 track of the day: The Breaking of the fellowship - Lord of the Rings

I finally did it! On my last day I splashed out and went to a café for breakfast. The lucky café I'd chosen was a 'Doutor'; a chain-café. Once inside I was served by a young girl who looked as though this was her first day; another colleague was showing her how the till worked. I ordered a roast beef sandwich, a medium-sized hot chocolate and a nice slice of cake. Of course, all of it was divine; the roast beef sandwich was filled with fresh vegetables, roast beef and laced with a sauce which added a little 'kick' to the ingredients. The bread was also so slightly cooked. The cake too was lovely; it was sweet enough for breakfast but, not too sweet. Finally the hot chocolate tasted as if it was made using proper chocolate. All-in-all this had become my favourite breakfast of my trip however, it had cost three times the amount of what I'd normally spend in Mr Donuts and twice the amount I'd unusually spend in McDonald’s. Once consumed I felt content. Now knowing my way around the area, I went back to Osaka's castle to find my first museum of the day; Osaka's WW2 museum.

Housed in a building which looks as though it is a collection of different shaped buildings, it was surprisingly non-functional and, for this reason alone, I liked it a lot. The entry fee was even better - £1.50 – and it came with a free audio guide. The only thing I didn't like was that, unbeknown to me at the time, the entrance was on the second floor of a three-storey building. The museum started on the second floor before you then had to go down to the ground floor. Finally you had to go back up to the third floor to see everything on offer however, this was very unclear and I spent quite a few minutes on the ground floor wondering where I had to go to next.

I have to praise Japan on it's WW2 museums. Having been through a lot of Asia, no other country tries to tell the 'whole truth' when it comes to it's military history. Whilst in both atom bomb museums – Hiroshima and Nagasaki – I found it very refreshing that, though the Japanese did comment that they felt both bombings were unnecessary, they did understand America's reasoning. It was the same in this museum and that is why, on the whole, I believed what I was being told. First off there was an excellent video about 'how Japan got involved in WW2'. Sadly though, my audio guide did not give me commentary for this piece. Instead I had to watch the video twice; the first time focusing on the subtitles before watching it again to focus on the images being displayed. What was interesting is that, at first at least, Japan wasn't interested in becoming a colonial power. With the treat of the European superpowers – Russia, Britain and France – knocking on the door of Japan (France held Indochina, the British held Malaysia, Burma and were pushing into parts of China to protect it's opium trade. Finally the Russians were attacking Korea from the north), Japan seized Korea, plus some islands in the north, as a 'buffer' from 'European expansionism'. It was only after Japan's stunning victories against the Russians and the Chinese – which, I think stunned the Japanese high command as much as anyone else – did it start to think like a colonial power and attack northern China for it's resources. This was condemned by the 'league of nations' however, the same league did not condemn the great European powers expansion plans and now, you can see why Japan would feel aggrieved. What's more, when China started to attack British interests in China, the British heavy-handedly put any uprising down whereas, when the Chinese tried to attack Japanese interests in the north of the country, the British actually provided the Chinese with aid. It's not hard to imagine that there was a sort of 'boys club' which, the European powers were trying their up most to stop Japan from entering.

As the museum went on it focused more and more on Osaka itself. It showed that incendiary bombs were used due to most of Japan's buildings being made of wood. It also highlighted the civilian causalities through incendiary bombing however, it also explained why the Americans had chosen this type of campaign. Finally, on the top floor, it talked a bit about after the war and how Osaka got back on it's feet. The museum then went a bit south with a few displays about how war is still continuing throughout the world and how the Japanese have 'learnt the value for peace, will do anything for peace and are a shining light for peace'. The usual 'power-up' speeches.

I left the museum two and a half hours later with two thoughts in my head. The first was that, if I was going to see three museums today before my flight, then I was really behind schedule. The second was that, though the museum was very good, this 'Japan is a shining light for peace' is all well and good however, this pacifism from the world's 3^rd largest economy is, I believe, starting to have a negative affect. Currently we have an ongoing bloodbath in Syria, war's in Iraq, Afghanistan and all across Africa. What have the Japanese done to help? Not a lot. Due to it's pacifism stance, it has barred itself from taking part in any war no matter how noble and, as far as I can tell, it has not taken in any refugees from any of these countries. Japan has sent money however it has, in my view, completely distanced itself from the world using it's pacifism stance as an scapegoat. Japan needs the world to buy it's products and, we need Japan to play it's part. Japan made tiny changes to it's pacifism stance a few months ago and it was met by sheer horror from the population, due to fear of returning to a military themed country however, I have never visited a country so in love with peace (and I've been to Fiji) than Japan is. It's just sometimes, a conflict has to occur first in order to attain a truly meaningful and long lasting piece … and we need Japan to help with that.

This trail of thought lasted until I reached my next museum of the day; Osaka's history museum. Though the ticket was over two times the amount of the WW2 museum, I only spend a fraction of the time looking at it's exhibits. One reason was that time was getting on but, the other was that, though the museum focused on Osaka it went through the 'ages of Japan' and I'd seen similar exhibits before. Via elevator I was whisked up to the tenth floor which dealt with 'Japan's early years'. The view of Osaka castle and the surrounding area from up here was worth the entrance fee alone. I then took the escalator down stopping at every floor to walk around another period of Osaka's history until the museum stopped at floor six. I then went down the escalators until I hit the ground floor where I exited the building and returned to my hotel.

Time was ticking on; so-much-so that I no longer had time to visit my third museum of the day AND return back to my hotel to pick up my bags. I therefore decided to pick up my bags now, and take them to the train station where I will board a train back to the airport. I will find a locker before proceeding to my final museum, which was a couple of stops on another train. All went well and I found myself walking towards my last museum of the day at 1:20pm.

Annoyingly, the museum wasn't that well signed therefore, I walked too far and, after asking at a local convenience store, I back-tracked and found the road which I was looking for. Once again Japan had faced up to the fact that it's country isn't perfect – which country is? This museum was called 'Liberty Osaka' and it focused on all of Japan's social issues including the 'untouchable caste' (the Burakumin), Japan's ethic minorities, the sexist treatment towards women and pollution. This is a rarity in any nation; a museum which focuses on a countries bad points and presents them in the hope that things might change. My guidebook labelled it as the 'city's most stimulating museum' so I was looking forward to it.

It was closed. The museum was on it's holiday and would not be open until the 10^th. I, of course, was a little peeved. Not only had I spent an hour getting here but, it had cost me over £8 in trains and 'locker' fees. There was nothing I could do; I left the area and took the next train back to the station where I would catch a train to the airport. Whilst heading back, I thought about all of the things I'd missed: the liberty museum in Osaka, a samurai house in Kyoto – you needed a Japanese translator so there was no way I could have gone – and Kobe's main museum. There was at least a weekend's worth of stuff to see if I wanted to come back however, I don't really want to come back. During my trip I have visited four cities, two castles, one beach, three museums and over forty temple sites. I have driven to the far north of Kansai, and I took a train to the far south. I have been to parks, river fronts, restaurants, train stations and on pilgrimages; I have done all this, with Kansai's countless population all around me. I have very much enjoyed this trip. Kansai has delivered what I expected; both in good ways and in bad. The bad is just the sheer amount of people and just how busy – except Nara – everywhere is. It has been so bad that I've had to change my eating arrangements; eating breakfast at 8am and not eating again until 4:30pm, where I would have a lunch / dinner combination when there would be very few people heading to the restaurants. Relaxing isn't a word that I'd use for this holiday. Having said that, it has been a comfort knowing that there are so many trains, that you don't have to pre-book or plan around train times. I think the longest I waited for a train was twelve minutes; usually it was only two or three. It has certainly been a case of 'country mouse' visiting 'town mouse'.

Due to the fact that my last museum was closed, I found myself back at the train station I needed to be at to take a direct train to the airport, with an hour or so spare. I therefore looked around the surrounding area and went to an 'English Pub' for fish and chips plus the campiest drink ever. Being fed up with either coke or orange, I ordered a 'berry mix non-alcoholic cocktail' which, though very nice, was bright red. Once I'd consumed what the Japanese population believe is a traditional English meal – they had nachos on the menu – I still had time however, I really didn't have anything to see. I therefore bought a ticket for the next train to the airport where I would arrive with enough time to read quite a bit of my book. I got my bags out of the locker and then proceeded to the platform. With seven minutes until my train arrived I left the platform and headed to a 'Bearded Papa's' for another two shoe-cream puff cakes. Though I thoroughly enjoyed eating them on my train journey to the airport, I'm not sure the same could be said in regards to the Chinese woman in the seat opposite me. Her toddler of a daughter kept looking at me with amazement and 'wanting' in her eyes.

The train dropped me off at terminal one. I needed terminal two. Though terminal two is really just a glorified shed – and terminal one held most of the shops – I was not really in the mood for browsing around shops. I therefore took a free shuttle bus to terminal two immediately. The bus pulled up only two bays from were I'd taken a bus to Kobe exactly two weeks ago. Memories flashed by.

Of course I was way too early for check-in therefore, I sat down and read a couple of my book's chapters. After check-in, I had enough time within the 'waiting lounge' to read a further two chapters. Peach's – that's the name of the airline I was using; terminal two was just for Peach flights – waiting lounge was nothing I'd seen before. Instead of chairs, big cushions and strangely shaped padded benches roamed the area in no particular order. Though I am sure the management at Peach were pleased with their 'ultra-modern' and cool layout, I was rather less pleased. It looked like a child's playground and do you know what, that's exactly how the children treated it. One child was jumping between two benches landing very close to me, and my souvenirs. Once I'd glared at the child's parent for long enough, the jumping stopped.

Finally I boarded my flight. Sadly the flight was packed and so I didn't have a spare seat next to me. As we took off I looked down at Osaka before we crossed through the barrier of clouds which had covered the skies over Osaka all day.

The flight was only an hour or so therefore, it wasn't long before we were back through the clouds. I had a quick glimpse of the city of Sendai before the pilot made a fantastic landing; it was extremely smooth.

Once off the plane I collected my bag and moved quickly to the train station where a train was waiting to whisk me into Sendai. It was difficult not to notice the drop in temperature so I rapped up tightly. I knew that I had another forty minute train ride therefore, I got my book out once again. Once in Sendai I transferred onto my local train however, as there were no seats available, I was unable to read.

The one thing I had been dreading, once back at home, is walking back to my apartment in the snow with all of my luggage. From my local train station, I have to descend one hill to almost immediately climb another. Luckily there was no snow therefore my walk went without incident however, before going through my apartment's front door, I stopped at a local convenience store to buy snacks for dinner and tomorrow's breakfast.

Once in my apartment I turned the electricity on, got the water working and re-plugged in all of my 'electricals'. It was very cold compared to Kansai therefore I turned on the heater and stood next to it.

So there we are; another trip bites the dust. I am hoping to be back travelling around Japan in a couple of months time however, I need to save a bit more money before I can make that a reality. Though I am looking forward to a few days of peace - without having to walk for miles - I would still give anything to be back on holiday. Not long to wait I suppose.

Next time; Shigoku!

Toodle Pip!

More temples

Date: Tuesday 5^th January 2016

Weather: The day started off well however, once past midday dark clouds encircled the mountains in which I found myself in and rain started to spit; however it soon stopped.

MP3 track of the day: cars - Gary Numan

 

I pulled myself out of bed at 6:10am and started to get ready. Within less than a week I'll be back at work so I better get used to it, I thought to myself. Once again I skipped having breakfast within my local area in favour of seeing what options were close to my 'car hire shop'. Yes indeedy; today was my third 'car hire day' and this time, I would be taking my 'wheels' into the mountains to see one of Japan's most holiest sites.

I used the same underground line as I had when I went to the aquarium yesterday however, this time, I went four stops in the opposite direction. When I surfaced, I immediately saw a Mr Donuts. It was then that I knew that today was going to be a good day. Sadly, the selection in Mr Donuts stores in Kansai, is not as broad as what I'm used to. Within the kitchen, I could see a tray of freshly made 'cream doughnuts'; I waited a couple of minutes to see if they would hit the shelves any-time soon however, they did not. I therefore bought three doughnuts which, though delicious, were not my most favourite. I then sat down and started to read my guidebook about where I was going to today. Two seats to my left was a middle-aged man who'd I'd seen on the train. On the train, he was fixated on his smart phone. In Mr Donuts too, he rarely looked up from it. For quite a lot of my trip, all I've witnessed is people either walking around, on buses, in restaurants or on trains glued to their phones. Is this really where the human race is heading? Are we so bored with what's around us that we have to continually live within a virtual world of games and messages filled with smiley faces? If so, then maybe we shouldn't bother trying to save the planet; it's probably best if we end it all quickly.

I was so engrossed within my thoughts that time slipped by. I had to eat my last doughnut in rather a hurry so that I could get to my car hire place on time. The service at this garage was very professional; the car was ready and filled with fuel. Today I would be driving a 'Suzuki Alto'; probably the sportiest out of my three car hires. Though the ride, and the sitting position, were both uncomfortable, the dashboard did have a cool feature. Depending on how economical you were driving, the dash would either light up 'blue' - if you weren't being economical - or 'green' if flowers were coming out of your exhaust pipe. I was enjoying the light display so much that for the first few miles I accelerated hard, before removing my foot from the accelerator peddle, before accelerating again just to see the dash board change colour. This wasn't at all dangerous.

Though the route I'd chosen meant that I left Osaka in the quickest direction possible, it was still pretty scary. Multi-laned roads went in every direction; and there were so many traffic lights I lost count. Thankfully the lanes rarely changed direction without ample warning therefore, without any troubles, I left the city of Osaka on it's eastern edge, heading south.

I decided to slick to the 'outside lane' along the '170' as it was the quickest overall. Within Japan, there are no 'driving lanes' and 'over taking' lanes. Basically the 'inside lane' is full of cars which will turn left 'quite soon'. The 'outside lane' is for cars which will be using the road for quite a while. Apart from the endless traffic lights, nothing else really held me up. Though the traffic was relentless, it kept moving and soon buildings gave way to small pieces of farm land. I proceeded onwards ever south.

Yesterday, Google maps had said that it should take two and a half hours to get to Koya-san from Osaka however, here I was an hour later and Koya-san had just popped up onto the top corner of my satellite navigation screen. I was starting to rejoice; maybe it wouldn't take anywhere near as long as I thought it would to get to the places I wanted to see today, I thought to myself. I had of course, rejoiced too soon. In between me and Koya-san lay the windiest mountain road you've ever driven up. My speed was reduced to a stand still and, because of the amount of clouds in the sky - plus possible death at every corner - sightseeing wasn't that great either. It took another hour and ten minutes to park within a free car park in the heart of Koya-san.

There has been a monastery on this site since the ninth century and now, hundreds of Buddhist sites fill these mountain tops. It is said that a monk named Kukai – known after his death as Kobo Daishi – got tired of urban life as he found it almost impossible to meditate and reach enlightenment. He therefore threw his vajra – religious implement – and, wherever it landed, would be the site for his new temple complex. Apparently it landed in a tree here. Kukai looked at this site; it was a plateau, with five mountain peaks forming a protective bowl – the five peaks would later represent the five leaves of a lotus flower – and everything was good.

Wanting to get the most of my car – and having had enough of temples – I quickly walked around the site as fast as I could, taking photos wherever possible. The sky was filled with clouds therefore, I knew that photos with the sky in them would look pretty bad. I therefore decided to work on my 'close-up' photography skills. Now that everyone was back at work, their were only a handful of people around. Being halfway up a mountain, it was pretty cold which added to the tranquillity of the place. Within one of the temples, prayers were being said and, I had to admit that the whole place had a strong feeling of peace. Once I'd photographed the main sites, I walked up to the main gate to take a photo before heading back to my car. I then drove to two UNESCO world heritage sites; one of which was located at the most northern end of the town, and the other at the most southern end. Having not paid for anything so far, I paid £1.00 to enter a UNESCO heritage site which contained the burial chambers of the Tokugawa clan. After that was done – and still being pushed for time – I proceeded down to the areas huge cemetery where, sadly, I had to pay for parking. This huge area houses over 200,000 stone stupas, spread within an ancient cedar forest. Though it was a cemetery, I still look quite a few photos as there were quite a lot of interesting bits (though I did feel bad). The first interesting thing was that, at the end of the cemetery was the burial chamber of Kukai himself. Before reaching his grave, a sign asked people of all faiths to be respectful of the area. I mean; this is like the father figure for Buddhism within Japan. I therefore put my camera away and took off my hat. His mausoleum was extremely interesting because the roof has ten thousand paper lanterns burning brightly. It is said that Kukai is not actually dead; he has entered 'eternal meditation' and is waiting to return as Miroku – the future Buddha – when he will help lead the faithful to salvation. It is for that reason that a lot of companies have bought land close to Kukai's mausoleum so that their high ranking employees can be laid to rest here. On my way through the giant cedar trees, I saw a grave site purchased by Panasonic. Interestingly, at the front of most companies mausoleums is a small post box. This is for current employees who, whilst visiting the graves, are able to post their business card and address it to a fallen colleague, asking for help with a tricky business decision.

Though I had raced around the whole site - and had only paid to enter one thing – I had still spent three hours in Koya-san; one hour more than I wanted to. I had planned to head to the sea next however, with an hour less of time, I wasn't sure if I could make it. The sea was kind of on my way back to Osaka plus, to get there I had to follow, what looked like, a beautiful road which wound its way along a valley. My road map made this road look so appealing that I decided to follow it and, when I reach 2:30pm, I will just cut my looses and head back to Osaka.

The road did not disappoint. Luckily for me, there were two roads heading in the same direction away from Koya-san; this one and another. Of the two, this one was the slower road therefore, I pretty much had it all to myself. There were far fewer sharp corners than the road I had taken to get to Koya-san, and a lot more straight bits. This allowed me to appreciate the scenery. The floor of the valley was covered in dried rice fields, with small farm houses dotted around. The river raced me all the way to the sea. The sides of the mountains were so sharp, I wondered how all of the trees stayed upright. This is what I wanted to do on one of my 'car hire days'; I wanted to get lost within the mountains of Japan.

Once the valley opened out, urban settlements came into view. It was then that I wondered why I had ever wanted to go to the sea; it would just be an urban site. The time also helped me decide to abandon my plans for a drive along the coast; once out of the mountains I actually back-tracked a little, and hugged the edges of the mountains before I found myself on the road I'd used to get to Koya-san. I followed it back, ever wishing that I could replace these endless traffic lights – and countless cars – with the corners of that superb valley road.

As I approached the suburbs of Osaka, the clouds darkened and spots of rain fell. I thought it was fitting that it should rain on the first, and last days of my holiday. I had been blessed with such wonderful weather that I could not begrudge a small sprinkling of rain on my final day. Even so, I got lucky again and, by the time I gave my car back, the rain had stopped. The time was 5:30pm and, having not had lunch I was very hungry. Having seen a sign for a restaurant I decided to walk in the direction the sign was telling me however, I never did find the restaurant. What I did find was a 'Jolly Pasta'; a restaurant which I haven't tried before. I went in an ordered a superb pasta dish with many different cheeses, potato and a lovely meat sauce. It also came with a nice salad. Being my last full day I decided to 'push the boat out' and order a chocolate cake which I'd had my eye on ever since I read the menu. Once finished I paid the bill and waddled to the nearest underground station.

Once back at my hotel, I inquired as to how long it should take me to get to the airport tomorrow. After a few minutes a lady came back with three possible routes, all suggesting that a little over an hour was needed. I would therefore need to visit the three museums I have planned for tomorrow by 3:30pm; this should give me ample time to get my 6:40pm flight back to Sendai. As the lady was explaining one of the three routes, I noticed that it was quite close to one of the museums I want to visit. I may take my bags with me and find a locker, before visiting said museum. So there you have it; I now find myself in my room on my final night. Can someone please explain where the last two weeks have gone? Tomorrow's blog will be written from the frozen north of Japan; which is where my shoebox of an apartment is located. When, now that’s another question. As I arrive home late tomorrow, my blog may not be written until Thursday.

Though Kansai has been busy beyond belief, I have still thoroughly enjoyed my holiday. I have managed to fit in so much within a short space of time. Once home I need to plan another trip soon so that I don't just reminisce all of the time.

Toodle Pip!

Suits, skyscrapers and people

Date: Monday 4^th January 2016

Weather: Once again, another beautiful hot day without a hint of rain. I can't believe how good the weather has been on this holiday.

MP3 track of the day: common people - blur

I had a lovely lie-in until around 8am, when I used the hotels 'dodgy' shower (more water pours out of the seal around the tap than through the shower head), got dressed and headed out. Though there were two McDonald’s within striking distance, I still wasn't up to facing one of their 'hot cake' breakfasts. Though hungry I decided to head for breakfast after I'd taken an underground train to my first stop of the day; Osaka's port area.

After a fifteen minute walk to the nearest underground station, followed by a twenty minute train ride, I found myself at Osaka's port area. The wind was blowing fiercely therefore, it felt much colder than in the centre of Osaka. I wrapped up tight and walked to my first attraction for the day; Osaka's famous aquarium. Sadly, being 9:30am, it was shut. I had thirty minutes in which to kill and I knew how I wanted to kill it; I wanted to have some breakfast. Sadly options were limited; so much so that those two earlier McDonald’s were starting to look tempting. I went into a fast-food rice restaurant where I stumbled upon the most delightful looking breakfast, and the most horrible looking waitress. I never fancy rice in the morning however, luckily, this rice shop also had a sort of 'hot pot' for sale. When my breakfast arrived it consisted of a bubbling bowl of broth filled with vegetables and noodles. To compliment it were an array of pickles and spices plus, unfortunately, a small bowl of rice. Another unfortunate thing that came with the meal was the waitress. Looking as though she had just entered her 40's, she wore a facial expression which read 'not amused'. I wondered if she had received a call late last night asking her to cover today's morning shift as a college – who is always off ill – had called in sick. Add to that her face seemed to say that her bike had been stolen, that in all of Osaka it was only raining directly on her apartment and that she had been the first person ever to receive a ticket for walking through a 'red man'. She also looked as though she was chewing a wasp. At first I pitied her; obviously life hadn't gone the way she'd planned it when she was a little girl. After she had been rude to numerous customers I reckoned that she had probably been given what she deserves. Once breakfast had been consumed, I made my way back to the aquarium where I paid the £15 entrance fee. I was then whisked up to the top floor by escalators.

I've mentioned it numerous times before but, when it comes to Zoo's and aquariums, I am half in favour and half not. I like the fact that humans – especially children – come into contact with animals so that they learn to respect them and not to fear them. I do not, however, like the fact that these animals are caged. The pens within this aquarium were extremely deep, but not at all wide.

Once at the top of the building you were greeted by animals which live on both land and in the water – otters mainly; which pulled quite a crowd as they are considered cute in Japan. These animals would appear again as you descended down through the building where you saw them within their water environment – due to the fact that the pens were very deep. This set the theme for the place; you started at the top of the building and, the lower you went, the further you were under the sea and therefore, the animals you saw were chosen with that depth in mind. Also, displays were split up into different oceans within the world. Due to the fact that the pens were worryingly thin, I got extremely close to the animals and saw them in minute detail. The range of animals housed within this aquarium was immense therefore, I could see why some had labelled this place the 'best aquarium in Asia'. For me however, I still think that Okinawa's aquarium was better, simply because of the width of the tanks. It was as if the place had been designed for 'city people' who had little time to wait therefore, the animals were forced to swim as close to the glass as possible. Speaking of people; though this was supposedly the first 'working day' back after the holidays, no one had told the thousands of children – and their useless parents – who were charging around the place. I've mentioned before that I think it's a good idea for children to see these animals however, I also think that it might be a good idea for their parents to teach them not to push.

I left the aquarium two hours after I'd entered (and I wasn't wondering around slowly). If I was to build an aquarium, I'd make it like a huge box with the centre hollowed out. The size of the this box would be the same size as a large park, giving the animals a huge amount of room to swim around. The centre of this 'box' would be hollowed out with a maze of tunnels and small chambers where, people could walk around freely. Instead of seeing the fish in 'order'; all fish would be electronically tagged. Every paying customer would receive a tablet where they could bring up details of a certain animal, and it's electronic tag would tell the customer where that animal currently was (the tablet could also have a check-list so you could make sure that you'd seen everything).

Once my aquarium had been designed, I got on with reading about what remained of Osaka that I hadn't seen. Not a lot was the answer; there was the main part of town which was split into the 'northern part' and the 'southern part'. Only the southern part held an attraction which I wanted to see – a museum, which is closed on Mondays – therefore I decided that I would take the underground train back into the centre of the town and just walk around.

Once back in the centre of town I first of all walked north and crossed over the river I'd seen yesterday. This part of the waterfront was as beautiful as the part I photographed yesterday. Once across I made it to Osaka's impressive train station before turning around to head south again. I would certainly say that this part of Osaka is the business end. The buildings touched the sky and everyone I walked past was in a suit. Though Kansai is a rather small part of Japan, it alone has a bigger GDP than the whole of Canada. I walked through this area of 'business' looking up into the sky as often as looking where I was going. Again I would say that time had been taken into how this part of the city would look, and not just it's function.

As I was heading back south I was starting to get hungry. Looking at my map, I was about to enter the 'southern half of the city' and that there was a long 'shopping arcade' which started not too far from where I was. What's more, it cut right through the heart of this part of the city, ending up at the southern train station. Though I had thought that visiting 'said arcade' was indeed a good plan, it actually ended up being the worst idea since General Hague told his men at the battle of the Somme, that they would have a bigger chance of surviving if they walked across no-man’s land. As I approached the shopping street and looked down, it appeared as if the whole of Asia was currently trying to squeeze down it. I decided to walk down, instantly regretting my decision. Not only did I not find anywhere that looked, A) empty and B) appetising, I had to contend with the new '2016 Guinness World Record for the most number of people in one area'. I made my way down this street wondering if it would ever stop. Finally, heroically I made it to another waterfront.

In front of me was a small bridge, packed with people, with tall buildings all around. Down below me, a path ran along the waterfront which was hardly being used due to the fact that no shops existed down there. I therefore opted to go down onto the riverbank and take stock. The southern part of the city was a stark contrast to the north. Where the north had been an orderly place of skyscrapers and businessmen, here not a suit could be seen. Bright lights, vendors displaying their wares and people were everywhere. Small streets ran like a maze through this part of the city, all at one point having to cross this river. I walked, and I walked, and I walked. I was loving the atmosphere however, by 4pm, both my feet and my empty stomach called 'time'. All three of us went to a restaurant where, surprisingly considering how many people there were in this area, we didn't have to wait long for a table. I ordered a steak with some chips which, when it arrived, was so big that after eating it I didn't have space for anything else. After forty minutes of eating nothing but meat and potato, I waddled out the restaurant a little disappointed that I hadn't had room for dessert. Still I had decided to walk back to my hotel and, I remembered seeing a 'shoe cream puff' cake shop earlier that, in a round-a-bout kind of way, was on my way back to my hotel. Though I was so stuffed that I was sure that, if I opened my mouth wide enough, people could see the last bit of my meal waiting for a vacant space within my stomach, I still ordered two cream puffs as the time was 5pm and I still had five hours or so before I would go to sleep. I've had these cream puffs before and let me tell you, they're delicious; so much so that my little face lit up when the lovely lady gave me my goods. “... remember that they have to be eaten within thirty minutes...” she said as she gave me a final smile and turned to serve the next customer. Thirty minutes!

Now, you know that 'Vicar of Dibley' episode where she has to eat three or four Christmas dinners on one day … that is how I felt. I quickened my pace as to burn more fuel therefore, create more 'stomach space'. I ate the first cream puff as I walked back to my hotel and then the second as I rocked through the door. It had taken me almost forty-five minutes to get back to my hotel room therefore, I hoped that my puff was still okay to consume … it was lovely!

So now I am in my room and preparing for tomorrow. With all bar three museums done, I am glad that I have a car hire tomorrow as I would have nothing to do for my final day on Wednesday. What I am not looking forward to is exiting and entering Japan's third largest city via car therefore tonight, I need to plan how I am going to leave and enter the city as quickly as possible, and then work out how I am going to get to my main attraction for the day – Koya-san; one of Japan's holiest mountains – before driving into the prefecture of Wakayama.

One thing is for sure; it is going to be a busy day!

Toodle Pip!

Castles, accommodation and people

Date: Sunday 3^rd January 2016

Weather: It was hovering around 16 degrees today making my attire totally inappropriate for such a hot day. Accompanying this heatwave was a beautiful and, yep you guessed it, a blue sky with fluffy white clouds.

MP3 track of the day: Parklife - Blur

Due to my busy day yesterday, I got up at the leisurely time of 8am. Though most hotels and hostels have a checkout time of 10am, this one was 11am. I therefore had ample time to relax and get ready for my move to Osaka. Before checking-out I finally went for breakfast at 'Viede France' which, though it was the smallest and probably the most expensive breakfast I've had on this trip, it was also the most delicious. I then made my way back to my hotel with a sad look upon my face. Within Kansai lies this city – let's be honest, due to it's size it really should be a town – called Nara. Whereas Osaka merges into Kobe as one big urban sprawl, Nara is very much isolated from the hustle and bustle of urban life and, I think, it chooses to be so. It has been a very friendly place and, though lacking in restaurants, it has had everything I've needed. Nara has most definitely shot into my 'number one city' for the Kansai region. If I had the money, I think that – knowing what I know now – I would have made Nara my base for my whole Kansai trip and just used the numerous trains to get to where I wanted to be. As I got back to my hotel – it isn't really a hotel; it's more of a posh guest house – I collected my bags and went downstairs. Waiting for me was the owner, armed with his smart phone and a big smile. He asked if I had enjoyed my time and helped me plan my oncoming journey to Osaka. After a few clicks on his smart phone he had managed to work out a route to my next hotel, which was different to the one I'd planned. As he hasn't been wrong yet, I asked him to write down his route and I followed it. This once again meant that I would be using the private rail company instead of 'JR rail'. This didn't bother me in the slightest; in fact, I had grown to like this rail company very much as staff members were abundant and they all seemed to know where each train was heading.

Sadly, the rail company cannot control who uses it's service. Though there didn't seemed to be any nutters bound for Osaka, the lady next to me did sniff a hell of a lot. I therefore resorted to putting in my ear phones and reading the announcements which were shown above one of the train doors. When my line of sight to said door had been blocked my another lady, I had to remove one ear phone so that I could hear when my next stop was due. Thankfully I didn't miss my stop and, neither did I mess up my connecting underground link. Soon enough I had exited my hotel's local underground station and was almost about to walk in the wrong direction. Luckily, I decided to get out my compass and map and soon after I arrived at my hotel which … was just a door. Space is a luxury in Osaka therefore, I found my hotel's reception on the 2^nd floor. Once at reception I realised just how much I like small private guest houses – like the one I'd stayed at in Nara – compared to the cheap business hotel I was currently staying in. Once I'd checked-in, there were no further questions about my plans for my visit to Osaka. The lady wasn't ready to provide me with additional information. It was if she didn't have the slightest interest in travel or any traveller. When I inquired as to where good souvenir shops could be found, I was given a less than enthusiastic response which resulted in an underground name. Being 11am I couldn't go to my room; I therefore removed my camera, my guidebook and my mini bag from my large bag and left the hotel in search of Osaka's most famous tourist attraction. It's castle.

Still not completely orientated, I actually went the wrong way and ended up following a road leading away from the castle. As it turned out this was a good thing as it led me to Osaka's river front. I walked along the waterfront taking endless photos; for once, it would appear that Japan has actually thought about the aesthetics of a place and not just it's function as, Osaka's waterfront was very pretty indeed. Beautiful bridges crossed a blue river to a land of skyscrapers and trees. I enjoyed this brief walk and, once it was over, I found myself back at my hotel.

Once I'd worked out where the castle was, it didn't take me long to get there. Once again the castle, and it's surrounding area, was very pretty. It was such a beautiful day that I decided that I would walk around the entire outer-moat, and then the entire inner-moat, before going into the castle itself. The pathways running next to the outer-moat were very pretty indeed; flowers and trees bloomed up everywhere, all in the presence of the castle's keep and it's high looming walls. About a billion joggers were running around the park and I met a few a couple of times. I don't understand jogging around the same place everyday, even a place as beautiful as this one. Personally, if I was to take up jogging I would want to 'jog' to somewhere. I suppose it's all 'parklife' in the end. About halfway around the outer-moat I saw a man doing a bit of falconry. He was a Japanese guy though, he was wearing an army jacket with the American flag on. Though the bird was very impressive, it wasn't actually doing a lot and so I continued on my walk. I made it to a fountain which had been erected at the most southern edge of the park.

Once I'd walked around the outer-moat, I crossed over a bridge and did the same around the inner-moat. Obviously this took a lot less time however, time was also helped by the fact that a third of the inner-moat's walking route was closed due to private property or renovation work. As I was almost completing my walk, I could here this 'hai' … 'hai' …. 'hai'... sound. I could make out that it was a man's voice however, I really had no idea what was going on. I could see a small crowd in front of me all looking up at the outer-moat's wall. On top of said wall was the falconer looking up into a tree where his bird had perched itself on the highest branch. There were quite a few giggles from the crowd as this falconer almost pleaded with his bird to come down. The bird however was having none of it; quite content to watch his owner look like a 'prized prune', it sat up in the tree looking like it had all of the time in the world. It was hard not to laugh and, what made it worse was that, as I walked away I could still hear 'hai' … 'hai' … 'hai'... for quite some time.

With the walls finished I progressed into the central area where I found the main castle and a huge souvenir shop (so much for having to go to another underground stop for souvenirs). I purchased a drink and read about the castle in front of me. In all honestly, my guidebook made the inside of the castle sound as though it wasn't worth the entrance fee. I do usually like the outside of buildings more than the in therefore, having seen the outside for free I was contemplating leaving without going in. With time on my side I decided that there was little harm having a look inside; I purchased a ticket and joined the crowd. Today is the last day of Japan's New Years holiday therefore, I am hoping that tomorrow might be a little quieter.

Once inside the castle I was beginning to think that my guidebook was right. Unlike at Himeji-jo, the whole inside had been renovated to look very modern indeed (there were two elevators). The ideal route was to take the elevator to the top of the castle and work your way down, visiting each of the seven floors filled with exhibits. Due to the queue for said elevators being so long, I decided to take the stairs and go against the grain; I visited each floor as I went up. The first floor was filled with cheap tacky amusements like being able to have your photo taken with a plastic red samurai hat on. Fortunately, the other floors provided more stimulating entertainment. I didn't really take everything in however, the woven blinds showing several battles from the 'shogun war' period really fascinated me. The way the art told the story is very different to what we see in Europe and for me, I found it fascinating but confusing. The castle also housed two models; one of the castle before it was sacked by the forthcoming shogun, and one after, when the shogun ordered the castle to be rebuilt. Though some similarities remained, both castles looked very different to one another. Once at the top I managed to get a good look at the city before I headed down and away from the castle. In total I'd spent three hours within the castles grounds and I'd had a very good time.

Being half two, I still had time to do a bit more sightseeing however, I wanted to stay within this area. This didn't seem to be a problem; my guidebook had written about two of Osaka's best museums being close by. One was dedicated to the bombing of Osaka during World War Two, and the other was a general history museum. Being in a bit of a 'war' mood, I went to the World War Two museum however, sadly, it was still closed due to it being the New Years holidays. The same was true for the history museum. With the time now close to 3pm, I decided to give up on today and prepare as best I could for my forthcoming days here in Osaka. I therefore went back to the giant souvenir stall close to the castle and bought all of the presents I'd need for work. I then headed back to my hotel were I was finally allowed into my room. Unlike all three of my other hotels / guest houses, my bags hadn't been taken to my room therefore, I had to carry them, plus my purchased souvenirs, up to the seventh floor. The room, on the other-hand, is quite nice though oddly shaped due to the exterior wall. I set-up my stuff so that it would make getting ready, over the next three days, as quick as possible. I then left my room and ventured forth.

This morning I had also enquired as to the whereabouts of a large book store. Once again I had been given an underground station name. Once outside of my hotel I peered across the street to see a large shopping centre. Originally I went there to see if they had a restaurant area – they did; but it was far too expensive. What I also found was that the 6^th floor had been designated as a giant book store. I went in looking for a photo book of the area I'd visited on my holiday. A very helpful lady showed me where both English, and Japanese, photo books were. Sadly there wasn't one just about Kansai; I could either buy a photo book for each city individually, or a photo book of all of Japan. On closer inspection, I didn't like the 'individual city' books as there was way too much text. The photo book covering the whole of Japan, on the other-hand, was actually pretty good. Due to the large geographical area this photo book had to cover, there weren't many photos of Kansai however, each one within the book was a place I'd visited – or am going to visit. I looked at all the photos chosen for this book and, it's as if the photographer had actually followed me around Japan – or that he and I had the same guidebook. I purchased it and was rather happy with myself.

Due to this areas lack of restaurants, I found myself within a burger fast-food store for tea. Looking around the area, it would appear that food might be an issue. It might be better if I eat whilst travelling rather than wait until I get back to my hotel. Once I'd consumed dinner I purchased some snacks and retired for the night.

So tomorrow I hope to head to Asia's best aquarium … or so the leaflet suggests. It is located at the other end of Osaka so an early start will be needed. I need to try and make the most of tomorrow as on Tuesday I have another 'hire car day' and on Wednesday, I will probably visit the two museums which were closed today before taking my flight.

So far, I have found Osaka to be quite a picturesque city however, not really that friendly. I wonder if that will change tomorrow!

Toodle Pip!