To Osaka!!!

Konichiwa!

So today had a little bit of a slow start seeing as we finally had a break from classes. But when we finally did we went down to meet with Miller Sensei for a briefing about our excursion to Osaka!  We were going to take a train and then transfer to one that'd take us to Osaka Park, where we'd see Osaka Castle.  Afterwards we'd split up to either go to Den Den town, an electronics and anime hot spot or the center of Osaka where there would be lots of shops and restaurants.

Osaka castle...was absolutely stunning.  It was surrounded by a moat and 2 massive inner walls and then the caslte itself was perched on top of an enormous stone base.  The castle had numerous gold detailed carvings and statues along the roof edges.  Again...it was just beautiful.  The castle is now an 8 floored museum that we all got to get a tour of.  We learned a little about its rich history and the stories of violent wars and bloodshed the castle had seen within it's walls. We also got to go to the top most floor which gave a bird's eye view of the entirety of Osaka.  Truly an amazing place!

We took a scenic route through the rest of the park and some of the gardens that surround the castle.  It was really serene~  We got to an open area with an immense fountain in the center.  There were some boys skateboarding...nd others that were...uhh it was like a mix between skateboarding and roller blading!  just look at the picture...i cant really explain it.  Like those little wheel things arent attatched to his feet at all he just kinda jumped onto them and is balancing...crazy kids! haha

Also there..was a clothed orange iguana.  Yep...it was as odd as it sounds.  Not only was this an 2-3 foot big iguana it also had a fur collar and was named Megu...yeaaaaa random.  haha. it was really funny though cuz it even had a leash and the owner eventually came by, grabbed it by its jacket nd placed it in the arms of one of the other students. As Saato sensei said..."You have def been the first to have this experience!"

Afterwards we split up.  Chris and I decided to head to Den Den town.  The streets were full of electronics and gaming stores.  Everything from watches, and cell phones to game systems and arcades.  It was a lot of fun!  Chris and I wandered off on our own looking at all the peculiar little shops and somehow ended up in the center of Osaka!


This..was truly a sight to see.  Especially as it was approaching nightfall.  The night life in Osaka is bustling with excitement and young people.  We even saw a few Yakuza (Japanese Gangsters) however they kept to themselves for the most part and actually turned out to be quite friendly.  I watched as a few girls asked to take pictures and they immediately struck poses.  We ate some renowned Osaka Takoyaki for dinner and then split up to do a little shopping and exploring on our own.


I..of course got terribly lost.  I ended up traversing a dark and narrow cobblestone alleyway where small restaurants lined either side.  It was creepy..yet there was an odd antique-ish charm to it too.  I eventually was able to back track my way back to the rest of the group though so all is well! :)






NEW FOOD OF THE DAY:

Takoyaki!  Osaka is famous for these crispy steaming octopus balls?!  haha.  Yep..that;s pretty much what it is.  And for those who have minds in the gutter i mean that the takoyaki was shaped into a ball. The inside was suuper hot (as in temperature-wise) and was soft and chewy.  It was not to bad at all for octopus. haha

This was a "Hokkaido Melon" flavored soft cream...basically it tasted like cantelope. It was surprisingly delicious!!