On Tuesday it was sunny with a cool breeze so I made the laborious two block journey to Osaka Castle. At the entrance I was met by a Japanese volunteer who showed me around for an hour. He spoke in broken English and I spoke in broken Japanese.
He was very friendly.
The castle grounds are a nice green oasis in the middle of such a dense concrete city. The castle has a rich history and is one of Japan's most visited attractions. It was originally built in 1583 by Toyotomi Hieyoshi who unified Japan and is considered one of its great heroes.
Toyotomi Hieyoshi
After his death, the castle was put under siege and destroyed by the Tokugawa shogunate, who promptly rebuilt the castle due to its ideal location. The main keep was then burnt several times by lightning and further damaged by bombs in WW2. It was finally restored to its current form in 1997. Now it’s a museum with screen paintings, armor, writings, and other musemey stuff. I walked around the extensive grounds for a while afterward then headed back home.
Try picking up some Judo. It is a great aerobic workout and will give you the oppotunity to meet people.
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