We knew it would be cold in this part of the world, but we sure did not expect snow. With a recorded temperature of 1 degree Celsius, there was no doubt that it could snow today. So when the ship was nearing the port of Osaka, we bundled up and went to the lower promenade deck to watch our entry.
The local firefighting boat escorted us with their hoses spraying as a welcome sign. Once docked, a Japanese brass band played on the dockside for all of us who braved the cold weather. It sure must have been cold for them there, but they never missed a beat. Even a TV cameraman was set up with his equipment filming all of us as we clapped for the musicians. Once the ship was secured, we quickly went inside to enjoy a nice, hot breakfast with lots of hot coffee.
There was a mandatory immigration inspection for everyone onboard in the terminal. It was supposed to begin right away, but for some reason unknown to us, it was delayed for an hour. We believe the all day tours would go off first, followed by the guests with number 5 through 21 or so. Since we had "S", we could go off any time, as long as we cleared by 9:30am. No one would be allowed back on the ship until each and every one of us had been seen by the officials.
We hung out until 9:30am, still waiting for numbers to be called. Only a few were by that time. Taking everything we would need for the day, we wore our down jackets, water proof shoes, and the most important things….our declarations form, the immigration forms, and our passports.
The line in the terminal zig-zagged like Disneyland, although with several agents working, it went rather quickly. Everything is done electronically here, as you would expect. We had to put our index fingers on a scanner for two possible reasons. One was to record our body temperature, and the other may have been for recording fingerprints. Since we had filled out the forms correctly, we passed the inspection, but not until our photos were taken. Finally, we were free to go.
But first, we needed to gather as much info as we could find in the center across from the ship. They were a treasure trove full of just what we needed. And more. Besides maps, brochures, and instructions, they were selling a one day pass to the Subway, new tram and buses. Because today was Sunday, the pass cost 600 Yen or $5.36. It would be good all day on any of the city's lines. What a deal.
Making our way out of the dock area, we located the Subway station, which was in the Tempozan area. Also here is the Tempozan Ferris Wheel, measuring 369 feet high with a diameter of 328 feet. Each basket or cabin holds up to eight people, and there are 60 cabins. For one complete revolution, it takes 15 minutes. The ride cost 800 Yen, or $7.14. Another good deal. We were here in Osaka, by the way, twice back in 2002. The first time was on the inaugural cruise of the Star Princess, then again in October, while on the Volendam's Asia/Pacific Explorer cruise. Cannot believe it has been 15 years since we were here.
Another huge attraction here is the Osaka Aquarium, perhaps the largest aquarium in the world. It has 27 tanks in 16 main exhibits with marine life from several habitats. The volume of water used in these tanks is 10,941 tons. The largest fish there is a whale shark.
Tempozan Marketplace is a shopping mall with stores and restaurants. Enough to keep one busy all day, and still be close to the ship. Very nearby, is Universal Studios Japan, similar to their other theme parks around the world.
Deciding to see Osaka, we got on the train and headed first to Osaka Castle. Just in case we need to recall the directions to get there, we got on the Subway train at Osakado C-11, and got off at C19. It was a very short walk to enter the complex. Founded in 1496 by a high-ranking monk, the residence eventually became Osaka Castle. That is until it burned down in 1580. It was rebuilt in 1583, only to fall once again during a war in 1615. It was re-constructed once again in 1620, taking over 10 years to complete. That lasted until 1665, until the main tower was struck by lightning, and destroyed by fire again. Re-built, it was used by the army until 1931. Although it suffered a lot of damage during WWII, it was once again restored and became a historic park.
We had a good walk to reach the outer gardens, the outer moats, and the inner moat. The outer gardens were massive, planted with bonsai-pruned pine trees and a plum grove. Scattered here and there are shrines dedicated to the monk that began this settlement. One such place showed the stump of a pine tree where he hung his clothes centuries ago. It is all that is left of the former dynasty, now a place of reverence. All the park grounds were full of locals riding bikes and running for exercise. Occasionally, we spotted older folks doing ta'i chi.
Following the crowd of Sunday local families and tourists, we went through the Sakura Gate and into the grounds of the castle. It is quite a spacious area that is filled with lunch wagons with local "fast food". Sure was a great place to get some unusual pictures.
The castle itself is best photographed from the outside. We have been inside this structure twice, so we did not choose to pay another 600 Yen to explore the museum this time. We had more fun watching the locals with their little kids, who were walking around with their snacks and ice cream cones. Or another big snack there is called "takoyaki", little round dough-like balls that were cooked in electric iron pans similar to cupcake tins. We think they are octopus dumplings, although they could have shrimp or other tidbits inside. Different sauces could be drizzled over them. That food truck had the longest line of all.
We happened to come across a fellow who was juggling long sharp knives with an apple. He had gathered quite a crowd, when he cut to the chase with a whole lot of antics, and took bites from the apple in between the flying blades. Another neat activity was a warrior-clad young man, who was posing for photos with people dressed in borrowed kimonos. On our way out, people had lined up with their little dogs to take pictures with this warrior holding their pets.
It took another ½ hour to make our way back to the Subway. From here, we decided to find our way to Shitennoji Temple. It was necessary to transfer to a different line, but we figured it out. Their transit system is so much like the one in Singapore, we found it a pleasure to ride it. The agents at the ticket exits were most helpful, especially when we were not sure which flight of stairs to take. Sometimes you have to go down one level, then go up two levels around a corner. This was easier, as we returned at C-19, and got off at C-18. There we located the purple line going on T-23 to T-26. The temple was a longer walk this time. So with some help from some local ladies, we finally found the main gate to enter. Two attempts along the way, found us walking into a cemetery with a funeral in process. The difference here is that all of the limos were white.
We remembered being at this temple 15 years ago, although at that time of year, it was much more crowded. Shitennoji Temple was built around 593AD. It was the first Buddhist temple in Japan. Like everything else here, it was rebuilt many times over the centuries. There is one gate on this property that has survived since 1294. Now that is old. We figured that this temple and the surrounding grounds are still considered sacred. Many locals were lighting incense sticks, and paying homage to the temple shrines. The oldest part of the temple must have been the holiest, because if you wanted to go inside, you had to remove your shoes. No photos were allowed. The unassuming temple had small rock gardens surrounding the perimeter. It had been raked to resemble waves in water, and was closed to foot traffic.
The entire time we were there, a bell was tolling eerily from a very old smaller temple. We had looked later for information on this historic spot, but could find nothing more. One very nice building housed huge brass bowls, where many people were lighting incense, and obviously praying. Today being Sunday, probably gave them the chance to do this. Tomorrow it would be back to work.
Except for some malls, there was nowhere to find a place for lunch. Most everything in the temple area was closed for the day. So we back-tracked the same way we had arrived here. The trains were more full by then, and we found there was standing room only. However, on the "C" line, one fellow insisted that we both sit down. Feeling it was more polite to accept the nice gesture, we did just that. It made up for the elderly man that pushed one of us off of the designated line on the floor after going through the ticket machine in the first station. Knowing that the trains hire "pushers" to jam the commuter trains, we took no offense. You can compare it to the "bike lanes" in Amsterdam, where you will get run over by the serious bikers if you trespass into their lane. They are well-marked on the ground, if you are paying attention to that and not looking everywhere else like tourists.
We got back to the Osakako station around 3pm, and walked the rest of the way with friends Rich and Peg. Sharing our exploits of the day, it began to sprinkle with a mix of rain and sleet. Seems like we all timed that just right. It was just a passing cloud, so not bad, just cold and colder.
Our room was nice and warm, so we ordered two chicken Caesar salads, and made a run to the Lido for a plateful of pizza to enjoy in the room. We have been "pizza deprived" recently, so it was first and foremost on our minds today. Everything "fish" is on the menus locally, but pizza is probably hard to find easily. There are numerous KFC, McDonalds, and Subway restaurants, but no pizza.
Working on photos and gathering correct info on our self-guided tour today kept us occupied until the sun went down. Before dinner, we went to deck nine to see the lightshow on the ferris wheel. On the quarter hour, the laser lights put on a series of multi-colored designs that included messages like welcome to Osaka (in English and Japanese), little kitty figures, and many aquarium inhabitants. It was spectacular and mesmerizing, despite the cold. Equally as impressive, was the Aquarium and surrounding grounds lit up like a winter Christmas scene…..all done with white and blue lights. Everywhere you looked in this bay area had high rise buildings lit up as well.
Only six of us showed up for dinner. We knew Barb and Martha would be there for the liver, bacon, and onions entrée. Not us, as we ordered the alternate chicken dinner, which was quite good. One of us had the Mohr Im Hemd, or the chocolate muffin filled with nuts and covered with more chocolate. Mint chip ice cream and lime jello worked for one of us. Figured with all of the walking we did today, it was worth double desserts.
Martha had taken the longest tour today which headed out to Nara. She said her tour group left one hour late, and got stuck in a traffic jam or accident for over an hour on their way out of town. That's one advantage of taking the Subway and connecting lines to these cities. If there are accidents blocking traffic, the trains usually get through on time. As a result, she had little time to get ready for dinner at 8pm.
Tomorrow, we will explore some other areas we missed today. Head waiters Endrien and Andri suggested the Tenjinbashisuji district (say that ten times), and even gave us the Subway trains to take. All aboard will be 10:30pm, so we have plenty of time to see a lot more.
By the way, today is the end of another segment, Honolulu to Osaka. We saw some luggage out in the hall, so 44 folks will leave us tomorrow.
Bill & Mary Ann
Harbor cranes in Osaka
A major seaport of Japan
Storage tanks
One of several bridges…….look familiar? Try the new SF Bay Bridge span
Mostly blue skies this morning
Local red boat
Firefighting vessel
Modern Osaka
Mountains in the back round 
Sun coming up over Osaka harbor
Tempozan Ferris Wheel
Welcome to the Port of Osaka
Harbor boats
Aquarium
Aquarium is a short walk away from the ship
Pulling alongside on the starboard side of the ship
The Marketplace complex
Wave…..you are on Osaka TV perhaps
Osaka Brass Band
Working ship as seen from our window
Just like the SF Bay Bridge span
Tug pulling a boat
Welcome to Osaka
Gangway attached to deck two
Amsterdam docked
One of many bridges
Another welcome
Ferris wheel
"Cabins" of the ferris wheel
Outside the pier area
Giraffe made entirely of legos
You can see the connecting pieces
Dolphins at the Aquarium
Marketplace fountain
Nice and clean area around the Marketplace
This giraffe was huge
A typical old gift shop
One of hundreds of vending machines
Hot and cold beverages (some are alcoholic)
A menu is posted with pictures
Great way to see the entrees
The subway is mostly above ground
Finding our way to the Osakako station
Decorations from the holidays
Inside the Subway station
Here comes the train
Everyone is on their cell phones….just like at home
The green line
High speed trains
Well-marked and clean
Stairway down to the Subway
The map of the Osaka Castle
Following the park grounds on the way to the castle
Central Peace fountain
A snack truck
Bill at the fountain
We will need to find this fountain to know our way back
Roads were mostly closed to traffic
Pruned cedar forest
Many restrooms in the castle grounds
Following the signs
One of the moats surrounding the castle
You can tell it is wintertime
Perfect reflection
The inner moat
Ancient rock walls
The moat protected the castle
Trees along the way
Bonsai is popular in Japan
The first peak at the castle
Road used for pedestrians and bikes
Plack to commemorate the monk who founded this castle
The monk hung his jacket on one of these trees
All that is left is a stump
Shrine to his memory
Local kitty