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.

When we stopped for lunch at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Kyoto, there were two girls dressed in kimonos in the lobby. We asked, and one of them posed for a photo. In one of the handicraft shops, I saw a Hoberman Switch Pitch ball that we use in chemistry class totally covered with Japanese fabric. I tested it and it worked fine. Interesting. When we were shopping, I saw a Crocs shoe store with this cute character in front of the store. Finally, we did see Pachinko and Slots casinos from time to time on our travels. We also saw 100 Yen stores (like our Dollar Stores at home). I have not gotten a picture yet.

Day 39 of 111. Osaka Japan

Here we are at the Heian Jingu Shinto Shrine. The visit was great, but the garden must be amazing in the spring. The stand full of wishes and the offerings of saki barrels were interesting things to see.


I really liked the trees covered with papers. All of the small pieces of paper make the branches look like blossoms. You get a fortune (with a donation?) and if the sentiment is good, you keep it. If it is not a good fortune, you tie it onto the tree… you get rid of it as soon as possible. So… don’t take the papers off of the trees. Some of the more sensitive trees were wrapped in reeds to protect them from the freezing weather.

In Kyoto, we saw several people dressed in kimonos. Some people simply want to be traditional, but our guide said that sometimes people in kimonos can get discounts or free entry into some places. The lighted wheel and displays are in an area adjacent to our ship’s dock. There is a large aquarium with many impressive lights. We visited the shops and restaurants nearby and had katsu-don in a bowl of rice. Yum!

Day 39 of 111. Osaka, Japan
We arrived in Osaka at 8:00 a.m. The sea was very calm (a welcome change) but the air was cold (35 F). In my down coat I was comfortable, but my ears were cold. I went shopping later for a knit cap. (2,000 yen)

We visited the Golden Pavilion in Kyoto. It was a nice walk and beautiful sites. It actually snowed a little while we were there and there were patches of snow on the ground. Our guide, Miwa-San, is very good. She told us that the pavilion was the retirement residence of a Shogun who turned into a Buddhist priest. The pavilion is the centerpiece of a nice complex. The three floors of the pavilion are significant. The lower level was for visitors. The second floor was the living area. The top floor was the meditation area and had beautiful lacquered floors which mirrored the room. The actual pavilion was burned in 1950 by a visiting Buddhist priest. This is a reproduction.

The next stop was the Nijo Castle. The five buildings, the artwork, and the information about the Shogun made this visit memorable. The floors make little noises as you walk and are called the Nightingale floors. The sounds are small gentle squeaks that sound like tiny bird calls. They are caused by iron nail moving against the wood. The sounds are supposed to alert the residents against marauding ninjas.

On our bus trip to Kyoto, we had a rest stop. The bathroom had a map of the facilities. I thought this was very clever, very organized, and worth a picture.

Day 38 of 111. Sea Day in the Northern Pacific.

A fun event today was a backstage tour and a chance to meet the ten performers who travel the entire cruise with us. Four are singers (on the left) and six are dancers (on the right). They come from the US, Russia, Ukraine, and England. They all are very friendly and work everyday rehearsing. There are individuals who join the cruise for a few days, but these young people have rehearsed ten different shows as well as some extra individual performances. We also went behind the stage to see the dressing/make up areas and costume storage. On the stage you can see the place where the band plays. The drummer is behind plexiglass. The band on this cruise is amazingly good. They back up all of the visiting entertainers and get one rehearsal before performing. They never seem to make any mistakes.