Sunday 21 April 2013

Japan: Osaka Castle


Put “Osaka” into google images and you’ll be bombarded with pictures of the famous Osaka castle (Osaka-jo). It was originally built by Toyotomi in the 16th century, and then ransacked by the Tokugawas in 1615. It’s been destroyed by lightning, burned to the ground and bombed by the Americans since then, but it’s always been rebuilt. The current structure is a post-war reconstruction, which is pretty impressive.

 The approach to the castle

 Osaka-jo

View from the front

Like any good tourist, I made sure I got to the top for a look around:




The area surrounding the castle was very busy. There were entertainers, food stands and even live bands:

 I have no explanation

Osaka-jo concert hall

The Jeff Hot Chili Peppers

The NKH building, which houses the Osaka History Museum, was also nearby, so I went for a wander around. Unfortunately they’d only managed to translate the title of each information board, meaning that I was left wondering what the hell I was looking at most of the time.

NKH building 


Some kind of wall

Oh, and I also saw one of those weird cafés where you go for a cup of tea and to stroke a dog that’s not yours. Apparently it’s relaxing!

Woof.

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