Blog - Osaka #5: Osaka castle
Osaka #5: Osaka castle
On our last day, we went to visit Osaka castle. The castle was beautiful, much larger than the Fukushima castle that we visited the other day. It felt very new though, even with elevators and a special elevator outside for disabled people.
Inside were exhibited some goods retrieved from the original castle, the type of stuff that I like to check out. There were also dozens of 3D videos projected behind windows in the walls of the museum, showing acted scenes of the old times. These were well done but we didn't have time and will to look at each of them.
After that, we went to the Hanshin department store to have lunch. There's a nice food court area where you can buy food from several stands and eat on tables. It was lunch time and the place was quite crowded. Many people were eating in the stairways too. The ikayaki (cooked squid) shop is famous and had a long line-up, service was fast though! It looked like they will be rising prices in October.
Then, we went to do some shopping around in the four Osakaekimae buildings. These felt a lot like Nakano Broadway, as over half the shops were closed with shutters and the rest were either a bit otaku-oriented or old coffee shops. There were several record shops there, many with a large collection of records, some was good-priced but some shops were just expensive.
Then it was time to head back to the airport. We bought some chou à la crème at Takatora in Nanba station, and that was it!
I feel like we did pretty much all the tourism there is to do in Osaka, but we'll definitely have to go again some time if only for the great food!
And now I'm out the door for more adventures, so be looking forward to more reports. :)
Posted on September 19, 2007 at 13:53 | Tweet
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I'm not so keen on takoyauki (squidballs) which seem very popular in Osaka. Also did you know it's not allowed to make pictures INSIDE the castle?? hehe. I found out after I took 2 lol.
You'll need at least a half day to visit the Osaka Castle actually and see everything in detail, there's sooo much stuff to see and read there.
It's also quite funny to see a very modern lift attached to an old building there hehe. Did you go all the way to the top??
Posted by Papigiulio on September 20, 2007 at 18:19
Well considering it's a replica made out of modern materials the elevator shouldn't be surprising.
My friend has lived most of his life about 1 km from the castle and refuses to go there because it's fake. I did see the huge stone in the wall outside which I guess is original but I heard was done to show off and while huge I guess isn't suposed to be thick at all.
There was a huge not very modern department store a few blocks Northwest built in the 60s or 70s and then I visited in 2004 and a few little shops and restaurants were still in it but it was 90% out of business.
Posted by ndkent on September 23, 2007 at 00:05
Papi, you can take photos on the 2nd floor, but not on the 3rd and 4th, or something like that. The castle visit actually begins at the top, where you're taken to by elevator, and then you walk down. Well that's if you follow the suggested course. :)
Nick, I didn't check the stone wall's thickness, but they listed it as the most heavy original rock around there, at 130 tons. I didn't try lifting it either.
Posted by Patrick on September 26, 2007 at 11:01