Day 40 of 111. Osaka, Japan

We visited Osaka Castle today with its huge tower. We took an elevator to the fifth floor then walked up to the eighth floor observation balcony. On the way back down the tower, we saw exhibits about the shoguns and their history. The Castle was built for protection and the huge rock walls and moats were interesting when contrasted with the modern high rise buildings of modern Japan.

We also visited the Shitennoji Temple, a Buddhist temple that is one of the oldest in Japan. The large tower is rebuilt about 50 years ago but the long low building is 400 years old. The fountain with long-handled ladels are for washing/purifying yourself. The statue in the photo looked like a burial place for people, but I just thought it was an interesting picture.

We saw an interesting sculpture of birds on a handrail as well as one of many snack shops at the Osaka Castle. There are so many cool things to see.

If you know me, you know I am always thinking about food. It was fun to see KFC and the ubiquitous McDonalds. The uniquely Osaka treat is Takoyaki, a little fritter with onions and veggies and in the very center is a bite of OCTOPUS! Unfortunately we did not try this treat.