April 23

It was raining hard when we got up so decided to wait till after lunch to go check out the castle. We had a buffet breakfast at the hotel which will probably last for most of the day. We asked the reservationist if they would obtain a taxi for us tomorrow. I think we made the message clear, but we never know till it happens. We have given ourselves extra time in case there is a snafu in the morning. Did some packing up and laundry while it was still raining.Then as on cue the rain stopped around noon and we began our walk to the castle. We definitely felt that we are in a large city.

The streets are very clean and there is no graffiti. There is also no sights of homelessness.

We walked along river for awhile.

Then we saw one of Japan's most famous landmarks, The Osaka Castle.

Construction began on this castle in 1583. It was the scene of several major conflicts where the castle was destroyed and rebuilt several times. The last construction was done in 1931 where it was rebuilt to some of its original form.

The stone work around the castle was impressive

It was quite the logistical feat to get the rocks so they fit in a slanted manner.

As we were getting ready to enter the gates a couple of Japaneses ladies walked past us in their beautiful Japanese attire.

The castle is seven stories high with lots of gold trimming.

On the inside, each floor was devoted to a different era of Japanese history. There were stories of the construction of the castle as well as the battles that destroyed the castle. Eventually we made it to the top and got a good view of the town.

We started the walk back to the hotel. When we passed a Natural Food Grocery Store, we took the opportunity to buy some food for dinner as well as breakfast. I think we were still full from the breakfast buffet. Tonight it became reality that we are heading back to the states tomorrow. We packed our packs for tomorrow’s journey.

Accommadation : REI Hotel

Walking around the town of Osaka