Osaka Castle

A poster outside the castle

It is tempting to write a post about riding subways and trains in Japan when you cannot read Kanji--truly an adventure and in Japan, you better have your translator nearby.  Today we rode the rails to the Osaka Castle.  Fin and Mark have been reading James Clavell's Shogun and really enjoying the vivid descriptions of Osaka and the Castle in the book.  What fun to see it in person!

The Osaka Castle is about 600 years old and it is a fortress of astonishing size and beauty perched on the highest hill in the city.  It is filled with interesting and beautifully organized displays like the one below of samurai solidier in battle:

Here's a view from outside the castle.  A moat surrounds colossal stones that elevate the castle high above Osaka.  

Fin enjoyed standing under one of the enormous gates.  And here's another example of the fantastic manhole covers that we've been recording on our travels around Japan (see the Osaka Castle in the background?)

Fin and Nevin are now in school every day and loving it.  The classmates are very friendly and fun-loving.  Laura has been learning about speech pathology as it is practiced in Japan.  Besides teaching, Mark is enjoying photographing our travels.  Today it was rainy in Osaka.  Here is a picture of some puddled benches in front of the castle: