Osaka, Japan: Part 2 🇯🇵
Our first full day started with a trip to a nearby laundrette. Both Steph and I were in desperate need of a clothes wash, so it had to be done. It was absolutely scorching weather compared to the misty cool of Hakone.
I resigned myself to the thought of needing to put suncream on fit for first time since South Korea. The wait for the washing was made that bit more bearable with an canned ice coffee from one of the many vending machines fitted around the city. Seriously, Japan loves vending machines. The UK is lacking on that front.
We met with the rest of the group at one of Osaka’s many retro gaming shops. It is a real throwback , with consoles such as Nintendo 64, PlayStation 1 and the the Xbox all being available as well as a range of games and accessories. It was the first real taste of the retro side of Osaka I’d read so much about back in England.
After a peruse around both floors, it was concluded that we could head to the outskirts of the city. It was three trains away from our closest subway, two of which local trains which were outside of the metro map. We wanted to see more of Osaka and that’s what we were getting.
Minoh station was the end of the line and it was also in the shadows of a huge forested hill. Following the path, it took us up and down winding paths and across streams and crevasses. The trees offered some relief from the mid afternoon sun, which was appreciated, especially when we arrived at the end of the 2km trail.
Minoh waterfall, like most waterfalls, can be heard before it is seen. The gentle stream we had followed opens up into a wide yet shallow pool area. The water comes flowing down the rocks from up a height, looking crystal clear. It was a long walk, but the rest with such a view was rewarding.
If there were any other sounds in the forest, you’d struggle to hear them. The roar of the water gushing down drowns our everything as it ricochets around the rocks and hillside.
Whilst taking a moment at the water fall there was a group of people throwing/kicking a rugby ball around whilst being filmed. We assumed this was a promotional video for the upcoming rugby World Cup in Japan later this year. The suspicion was raised when we saw one person attempting to take a picture but was thwarted by one of the members. Interesting stuff, even more so when an unfortunate guy kicked the ball over the net being used to prevent the ball from falling over the bridge into the stream below.
The walk back to the station gave us a last experience of the idyllic forest before heading back on the train to the centre of the city. After a dinner of traditional udon noodles, we decided to head for Osaka bay.
There were some issues with trains. Myself and Steph set off to get s different train to the rest of the group due to having a metro pass. We followed signs for the subway which google maps had recommended only to see that the subway line needed had vanished off any notice boards. After a period of looking around the station we resigned ourselves to the Japanese Rail local train to the destination.
After more walking than originally planned, we were on the train to Osakako station. Our plan was to visit the Osaka bayside, which by now would be lit up by the huge Ferris wheel which stands tall and acts as a fantastic marker to find it.
It was after 9pm and the lights of the 112 meter Tempozan Ferris Wheel were illuminating across the skyline. As the last ride was 9:30 we were actually the last group to go on, which was eerie in a way. Only one of the many cabins was occupied. The view from around the wheel was well worth the moderate price of 800 yen (£5.50/6).
It was possible to see the plethora of huge buildings lit up across the skyline, watching the world go by here was one of the better ways to get those top notch views of this intriguing city. It had been a long day, with over 33,000 steps recorded on my phones health app, we agreed it was time for bed.
Day two of the Osaka stint of our trip saw us heading across the city to Osaka castle. The subway is located at a convueht juncture, with many signs underground recommending the best exit to reach the castle.
The grounds are up and away from the melee of 21st century Osaka. Dated back hundreds of years, the castle has become a museum displaying the rich and often violent history of the area in which many battles took place across the centuries. The top floor is a vantage point where you can see all across the Osaka skyline, I also thought how easy it would be to spot an advancing enemy army from this high up.
The museum floors also contain relics of the war torn past, such as weapons and armour. It is an interesting place for any history buff, hence why the walk around the exhibits were a win for myself.
Leaving the castle I took one last picture, finding the best angle to cut out the glass elevator shaft, and made the walk back down the path towards the subway. The next destination, ‘Retro city’.
Building began in 1921 on this futuristic area of Osaka but it ceased during ww2 and didn’t commence again until much later. It has gone from a glance at the future to a look back on the past, with art deco style architecture dominating the area. It may serve a different purpose, but this ‘retro area’ is a must see for its design and apparel; the dominating tower in the centre is the cherry on top of the cake.
Unfortunately most of the shops were either closed for the day or yet to open for the evening, so perhaps you might get s better look at the place should you ever find yourself in Osaka.
Back on the subway and towards the shopping district of Nambo. Whilst browsing the shops, the heavens well and truly opened. Although we had not brought raincoats with us, we did have an in umbrella to protect us from the worst of the rain. Fortunately most shops stay open until 9/10pm so it was easy to seek shelter for a while.
Osaka feels that bit different to Tokyo in the sense that it is not as intense. Only when walking on its streets do you feel a sense of being caught up in the melee, with opportunities to take a short train journey away from all this you’re never too far from an alternative.
Our next and penultimate journey was a short one, across to Nara.
