We are writing the blog the morning we leave Osaka. It’s our last day here in Osaka and it’s very rainy. A perfect day to for watching the football games this morning. It took a while, but we’ve figured out how to stream them. Go 49ers!

Yesterday, after a day of rest and relaxation we woke up to sunnyish weather that was perfect for exploring. So we headed out to 400-year old Osaka Castle by subway. We found the subway next to our building pretty quickly, but after arriving at the ticket booth, we discovered we could only pay with cash. After some local advice (everyone here has been so helpful and nice) we headed back up to the surface and the 7 Eleven near the exit to use the closest cash machine. The Osaka subways are very modern except that there aren’t many escalators and elevators are hard to find.

So began Jim’s adventure with climbing and descending multiple flights of stairs around Osaka. By the end of the day Jim’s Apple Watch clocked 20 flights of stairs and over 20,000 steps. Amazing!

With cash in hand we found the correct train and after a successful transfer and climbing some long stairs to get above ground we arrived near Osaka Castle Park. We enjoyed a long walk through the park (which must be very beautiful in Spring or Fall) and then had to climb more stairs to get to the Castle, which of course was located at the top of a hill and surrounded by moats. The impressive structure was originally built in the late 1500’s, but then destroyed during the Japanese civil war that ultimately unified the country in 1615. The Castle was rebuilt in the 1620’s, but the central tower was struck by lightning and burnt down in 1665, and not completely rebuilt until 1931. Surprisingly, it was not damaged in WW2.

The Castle has an elevator that takes you to the 5th floor but from there you need to climb stairs to reach the top on the 8th floor. It’s worth it to enjoy the magnificent 360° view from the top and then it’s relatively easy to take the stairs down and wind through the lower floors to learn the history of the Shoguns during the Japanese civil war and the huge battles that were fought at and near the Castle in the early 1600’s.

After a quick break for a snack and a bit of rest we walked to the Shinto shrine outside the castle grounds and discovered an extremely rare blooming winter cherry tree. It was a good sign that Spring is on its way!

Then we headed back through the park in search of the JR line commuter rail station so we could head north to Kyoto (Japan’s ancient Imperial Capitol that governed most of Japan for over 1,000 years, before the Capitol was moved to Tokyo). We followed the signs but we had some trouble with communication and ended up going up and down a long staircase two times causing Jim to say “Are you kidding me” and me to laugh. After climbing the stairs the first time, we spoke with an English speaking person on street level and unfortunately he told us to go back down the subway stairs to the information desk. When we got there, a lovely English speaking local translated for us with the train employee there who told us that we had to head back up the same long stairs and then walk about 300 yards to find the station for the the JR Loop Railroad, which would take us to the Osaka Central station, where we could transfer to the train that went to Kyoto. One more stair case and a brief walk and we finally made it! We needed a little help buying a ticket again and were very thankful that Osaka Central has a lot of escalators. And that is how we made it from Osaka Castle to the correct train to get to Kyoto (a 30 minute trip).

I wanted to head back to the “Sou Sou” brand store I had discovered in Kyoto 8 years ago. We thought we could walk there but weren’t exactly sure of the route from our paper map, so we reluctantly turned off “airplane mode” on our phone and paid for local cell service so we could use Apple map. On the way out of the train station two local high school students asked us to take a survey they had written about tourists’ impressions of Japan’s work-centered culture. By this time it was about 2:30 PM and we began a 1.5 mile walk to Kyoto’s shopping district, passing several impressive Buddhist Temples and taking the more pedestrian friendly back streets.

We found the Sou Sou store after stopping at a very modern and popular donut restaurant (although the donuts were dry and nothing like a freshly baked American donut). After some careful shopping I bought a beautiful jacket. Our plan was to hang around Kyoto’s shopping district, have dinner and then head back by cab to the train station. The salesperson suggested a nearby restaurant called Onikai. It took a while, but we found it and then stopped for a beer at a nearby establishment while we waited for it to open.

Forty-five minutes later we walked in to what we thought was the restaurant, it wasn’t. But it was super local and authentic. The food wan’t great, but it was interesting and on the way out we found Onikai but it was completely booked so it all worked out just fine.

Now it was time to find a cab. Jim found a wide spot on the street that appeared perfect for hailing cabs. And it was! The cab took us to the main Kyoto train station and we used escalators to find our train. Success, sort of. Turns out we boarded the express train and we only paid for the regular train. No problem, seated and underway we paid the conductor the extra $10 we owed for our quick trip back to Osaka.

When we arrived back at the Osaka Central train station, we decided that since we had no luggage, we wouldn’t use a taxi but would instead find the “Y” Subway Line that goes directly to our hotel. We had been warned that this was easier said than done because, OMG, Osaka Central Station is a gigantic labyrinth. I didn’t take a video of the mass of humanity crisscrossing hither and thither, but eventually we maneuvered our way through it, keeping our eyes out for the occasional signs showing us the way to the Y line, and although we had to reverse course a couple of times, we finally reached the correct platform, boarded the subway train in the correct direction and finally made it to the hotel. We were proud of ourselves, but next time we’ll just take the taxi, especially if we have any luggage.

We high-fived when we entered the hotel after a long day of walking, exploring a Castle, and maneuvering through crowded train stations. It was 8 PM but we’re finally back in our hotel room. Before bed we had to do some laundry and hang the clothes up to dry, but after that I ran a bath and we both collapsed in bed after a very successful day.

The Art Museum

The next day we had a much more mellow day and after the delicious buffet breakfast walked the 10 minutes to the nearby Osaka Art Museum. It’s a large museum (similar to the Museum of Modern Art in NYC) but with very few exhibits. The museum did have a remarked collection of early Osaka Women Artists. Japan is a very patriarchal society and it wasn’t easy being a women artist in the early 20th Century. Unfortunately, there was no English guide and no English translations, but we used google translate and enjoyed the exhibit. So much of the art reminded me of my Grandmother’s beautiful artwork. The exhibit featured Shima Seien and 4 other women artists who were allowed to exhibit at the 1916 National Japanese Art Exhibition.

The museum really needs a better leader. This could be a much better exhibit with more creative and informative curation. The descriptions read like they were cut and pasted from a 100 year old book. There is almost no discussion about technique or color. No real narrative. A local woman started whispering to us, because she was also clearly disappointed by the descriptions and wanted us to have better context for the various paintings.

It would have been great to build a bridge to more modern woman Japanese artists like Yayoi Kusama and others. But we still enjoyed the art and the experience. We couldn’t photograph most of the art. But these photos give you some idea of the exhibit and includes some of the museum’s funky sculptures.

Back at the hotel we did some yoga and swimming and soaking before going to a fantastic dinner at the hotel’s “Kora” restaurant. This was a pricey but very special dinner. We ate early at the Chef’s table and had a marvelous time talking with the Chef. The chef’s technique, service and the high quality of the fish, couldn’t have been better.

Back in the room we collapsed into a deep sleep.

Earlier in the gym we met Robert Scales, he asked us where we were from and he had been to Seattle many times, which led to a discussion about Dick’s of course. He lives in DC but works with T-Mobile. He’s traveling here with a friend, Gnoc, who also works for T-Mobile and lives in Renton. We met for breakfast and had a great visit. Robert is a world traveler who had been to Bangkok many times and he shared some of his Bangkok recommendations.

At the moment we are streaming the 49ers game, I’m working on the blog and immediately after the game we will head to the KIX international airport for our journey to Bangkok.

Overall, we’ve loved Osaka, it was a perfect stop for overcoming jet lag and experiencing a different side of Japan. It’s not crowded, it’s extremely authentic and not touristy. There are great restaurants and many interesting places to visit and excellent train and subway service (although more escalators would be appreciated!).

Fun fact about Japan: when someone asks you were you are from and you say Seattle, everyone smiles and says, “Ichiro!” Go Mariners!