Tuesday was Culture Day here (bunka no hi) so we had no classes. Now, the last holiday was Sports Day (taiiku no hi), a day I celebrated by sleeping in till 11.30, but Culture Day is something I can actually get behind. So, Osaka Castle it is!
First off, going to Osaka means I get to ride the trains extensively which is ridiculous amounts of fun, especially since the Hankyu line trains of huge windows and big plushy benches. And it means getting to see lots of people sleeping in public, which always amusing. And yet they all somehow know precisely when to wake up for their stops.
Osaka Castle itself is in the middle of a pretty monstrous park. They weather was gorgeous--sunny, mid 60s, breezy--so I spent ages just walking around. Japanese picnics are hardcore, it seems. In England I was all impressed by people unpacking actual cutlery and real flatware and things. Here they start hauling out the *stoves*. Yeah.
Osaka Castle's moat is huge, too. And that's just the OUTER moat. It's got another one even further up. The people holding Osaka Castle back in the day managed to LOSE somehow, unaccountably. I have no idea how they managed to pull that off, short of astounding stupidity.
It was a holiday, so the line to get into the castle itself was ridonk, and I didn't have time to go inside on this particular trip. Looks like I'll have to come back. Shucks.
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