… rocking and rolling with some 10-12 foot swells. The Captain deemed a landing too risky, so we blew on by. Which made us twice as happy to finally reach Osaka, Japan’s third-largest city, for a two-day stay. We docked across from a terminal with wonderful staff – and free wifi. Everyone on the ship – passengers and crew – spent time in the terminal. The first day’s excursion took us to Osaka’s Shitennoji Temple complex, the first Buddhist temple in Japan, built in 593AD, and rebuilt 7 times. A service was in progress at the very active temple when we arrived, so we waited to see the two enormous statues of Buddha inside.
Next stop: Osaka Castle. A 20-minute walk from the parking lot to the castle wound along a path lined with cherry trees. Unfortunately they bloom about the same time as Washington DC’s trees, in early April. The castle is an eight-story pagoda, and in the winter, the observatory on the top floor provides cloud-free 360 degree views of the city. One of the highlights was buying what felt like a two-pound gigantic pancake filled with bean paste, applesauce and vanilla custard from a street vendor at the end of the walk.
Above the terminal is a large mall, and we spent the afternoon exploring the sometimes weird and wacky shops. Our favorite was a store that sold fake food; you could buy an entire dinner plate of food. (But why?) The store was quite busy.
Day Two began in the terminal, getting info about a proposed adventure to seek out a bead store in downtown Osaka by subway. While there we took the opportunity to dress in traditional Japanese clothes – a lengthy process!
We headed out after lunch with friends. Our destination – a huge mall – was accessible directly from the subway, and the bead store we wanted was at the top of the escalator on the fifth floor.
After exploring the Osaka Train Station City (it’s true, you COULD live there!) and stopping for a pastry snack, we hopped back on the subway to find the downtown shopping district, famous for its lights and signs. It was a sensory overload!!!
We shared the famous Osaka “crab pot” – you cook it yourself in the table’s hot pot – shaped like a crab! The biggest challenge was getting into the booth …. We ended the day with a ride on the big ferris wheel beside the ship for some great city views under the full moon. What a day!
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