I spent the beginning of this week in Osaka, Japan. Let's just get one thing straight - I love Japan. I've been traveling to the Land of the Rising Sun for over 18 years now. I have a profound respect for the Japanese culture. I have worked for - and with - several Japanese companies, so I have seen the culture's best and worst. However, this trip reminded me of how much I love this country.
Osaka is the 3rd largest city in Japan. The pace of life is much slower than in Tokyo. I was able to visit several Osaka landmarks in just 2 days here (waking up at 5am has its advantages). The first amazing place was Osaka Castle:
I love the ancient structure right behind a modern elevator
The castle was first built in the 1600s, and then destroyed in the Japanese civil war of 1867. It was restored quickly to it's proper grandeur. The view from the top of the castle was extraordinary:
In addition, this castle has a very traditional "moat". Both an inner, and outer moat. It's quite impressive:
Trouble, even for ninjas
I was lucky enough to also visit the Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine. This was a 30-minute train ride south of the city, but worth the wait. I find that I love the temples and shrines in Asia - places of such peace and serenity, in the middle of bustling cities. Here's the entrance to the Shrine, complete with a classic Tori gate:
The best feature of the Shrine, was this bridge near the entrance to the inner court:
I have no doubt that I will create many more posts about Japan - far too many memories to contain in just a few blogs ; )
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