Japan Times

Now, it has often been said (by me), that if you've seen one Japanese castle, you've seen them all. I suppose I still stand by that assessment, but I suppose that I still can't deny the majesty of a 7 storey castle, moat and surrounding trappings. So on a 36C Osaka summer day, Son (my classmate) and myself set out to explore the wonders of Osaka Castle.


I think (but I'm not sure about this one) that Osaka castle is one of the biggest around this area, and there are quite a few in this area. Not only is the castle itself a good size, but the grounds are as well. Apparently its a really nice walk when its not hot enough to melt brimstone. Still, we struggled on. As I said, the castle has 7 stories (although the 6th floor is mysteriously missing, so they're numbered 1-8). From the top, is a view of the city. The castle is built on a bit of a mountain (think Blue Mountain) so, even though its not that tall, the view is still pretty good.

So one of the things that do distinguish some of the castles at least is the ornamentation. Osaka's is these big golden fish.

And of course, no Japanese castle would be complete without a very European building hanging around for good measure.

For the rest of the pics, click here.

Labels: japan, osaka