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    Instead of bombarding our friends & family with mounds of pictures every single day I've created this blog.

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Sunday, June 04, 2006

Osaka Castle

On Sunday, we set out for Osaka and would end our day's journey in Kobe, before heading back to our hotel in Kyoto.

We met T's Aunt and her middle daughter at an Osaka train station, and set out for Osaka Castle. The grounds were beautiful and the castle itself breathtaking from the outside. I was very disappointed, however, once we entered, to find the inside completely redone as a museum. Though it housed many old artifacts from the castle and its occupants, it was a shame to see such a modernized structure on the inside.

After viewing Osaka Castle we decided we definitely wanted to go to Nijo Castle in Kyoto, which is still its own old structure!

Osaka Castle
(大坂城・大阪城 is a castle in Chuo-ku, Osaka, Japan. Originally called Ozakajo, it is one of Japan's most famous castles, and played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century.

The castle is situated on a plot of land roughly one kilometer square. It is built on two raised platforms of landfill supported by sheer walls of cut rock, each overlooking a moat. The central castle building is five stories on the outside and eight stories on the inside, and built atop a tall stone foundation to protect its occupants from sword-bearing attackers.

The castle is open to the public, and is easily accessible from Osakajo Koen Stationon the JR Osaka Loop Line. It is a popular spot during festival seasons, and especially during the cherry blossom bloom, when the sprawling castle grounds are covered with food vendors and taiko drummers.

The grounds also house a museum, convention hall, and the Toyokuni Shrine dedicated to Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

Look, mom, it's a real moat. *smile*





A pretty view from atop Osaka Castle. With less clouds and smog it would have been breathtaking.


My mom outside of Osaka Castle.