Osaka Castle & Takoyaki
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Day 16 (Thursday): New photos in the Osaka album. Today the students and Akiko took off and I was on my own in Japan for the first time. A challenge! I dropped off my bag at the Super hotel and took off for the subway, only getting a little lost before finding my way to the right line — it takes two lines, four stops, to get Osaka Castle from Namba where I’m headquartered. 400 yen total. Yikes! That’s a little over a dollar a stop. The subways in Osaka cost a lot more than the subways in Tokyo.
I had hours before I could check in, so I decided to kill time at Osaka Castle because Himeji Castle is closed for renovation … for the next three years or so! … and Osaka Castle is in a large park where I figured I could dawdle. The castle has been rebuilt several times, so what you see is really a reconstruction, but it’s still lovely. I watched all the movies that offered English subtitles, since I wasn’t in any hurry — yeah, ask me about Toyotomi Hideyoshi, go on! — and then while I was walking around the grounds I was befriended by an elderly man in a bicycle who knew about 20 words of English, which is pretty much equal to the number of words I know in Japanese. Despite the fact that we hardly understood each other, he was gung-ho about showing me around the grounds, especially delighted to show off the shrine, trees (“Sakura!” “Bonsai!”) and gardens. I wonder if he was a gardener? At one point he pointed out a hall by the castle that offers lessons in judo and kendo, at which point I learned that he studied martial arts and his grandfather was a samurai, although that was about as much as I could comprehend from sign language and our minimal shared vocabulary. At any rate, it was a fun meeting, and I saw some things I might not have bothered to notice, like a rock garden behind the shrine. When I indicated that I was off to the Osaka Museum of History next, he walked me to the gate and we parted ways with bows and a handshake and many “arigato”s on my part. I have regularly sworn that I intend be as kind to visitors to the U.S. as citizens of other countries have been to me when I was a visitor, and I sincerely hope that someday I’ll have that chance….
The Museum of History cost about $6 for the permanent exhibit and has some fascinating dioramas and costume displays; however, relatively little of it is translated into English. When I left I found a good museum guide in English in the first-floor museum shop, so if you go and can’t read kanji, I recommend you buy that first for about 1,200 yen (about $12) and then visit the displays. Since I don’t read kanji, I skipped paying another 600 yen to see the special exhibit of Japanese toys and manga from the Showa period, even though it would have interested me had I been with someone who could translate. The building itself is worth visiting for its beautiful panoramic views of the Osaka Castle compound and because it’s located next to NHK, the Japanese broadcasting company — they share a huge, modernistic lobby.
Despite my aching feet, I decided to walk back to the hotel and save myself 400 yen, since it was relatively close. Relatively close, that is, assuming it doesn’t suddenly start raining on you without warning. Relatively close assuming you don’t get turned around after visiting a grocery store and blithely head off in the wrong direction about halfway there. However, I experienced more Japanese hospitality — I ducked under a fish store’s awning when the rain started to hammer down and a woman who worked there handed me one of the inexpensive, clear umbrellas you see all over Japan, grinning and saying something that included “Yokoso Osaka,” that is, “Welcome to Osaka!” I also asked for directions twice just to ensure I got back on the right street; on big cross streets the street signs are written in romanji, but most of the time they’re in kanji, which makes following a map somewhat daunting. One thing about traveling a lot and having no sense of direction whatsoever; I’m shameless about asking directions. Fancy ladies in jewelry shops? Tough-looking guys on motorbikes? “Sumimasen!” “Excuse me!”
Tonight I went out and found a small stand selling takoyaki, or the octopus dumplings for which Osaka is famous. They’re good — although you really can’t taste the octopus, with dough and sauce and bonito flakes all over it — but despite having read the warnings in the guide books, I still managed blister the you-know-what out of my tongue. Imagine biting into a ball of boiling lava that tastes vaguely like fish sauce and you’ll get an idea of the agony. I couldn’t drink my Asahi fast enough. Hint of the day: Don’t just pierce the balls open with the stick to cool them down; wait a good five minutes or more after piercing each one to make sure it really cools off.
I hope my tongue feels better by tomorrow, because Akiko and I were planning to eat fugu for dinner after catching the Takarazuka revue. I’ve been warned that fugu isn’t all that tasty, but I’d like to be able to sense whatever flavor it may have! Ouch ouch ouch….!
drupagliassotti @ June 3, 2010