Started off with a 30 minute walk in the wrong direction lol
I didn’t try to find this little one. It jumped out at me while I took a wrong turn
Now I’m where I wanted to be, the Shitennoji temple. Just a few of us there it was so early. Very peaceful.
Shitennoji temple- a lot of original buildings hereWhat is it with you Japan, you and your fences around rocks?Im still not sure what I was supposed to do with the hammersLots of bronzes honoring past priestsA very old hall, I couldn’t wander inside
Yes, I did spin the stone and say a little prayerAlways light a candle for your motherI got to go inside, sorry no photos were allowed
Another building I couldn’t get pictures in was a hall decorated with stuccos of scenes from the life of Buddha. Old and wonderfully preserved. Also here, they had this setup where some ladies would calligraphy the names of your ancestors onto these strips of balsa wood. The monk would say a 10 minute prayer, reading the names out loud. Then you get the names back, and go around the shrines leaving the sticks in various places, like instead of burning incense or lighting candles.
There’s a spectacular cemetery just nearby, very activeIm guessing this is the next one to be repairedJust a cool moth
I moved on to the castle area. The park is huge.
At the entrance to Osaka castle parkOsaka CastleAt the temple on the groundsAll these adorably dressed kids were at the temple with their families attending some ceremony or other. I watched for a while but couldn’t figure it out
The castle itself has two moatsThis handsome fellow’s name is Mr. MaruJust thought it was cuteThis gate is very important. Almost 500 years old
Some loud noises distracted me. There was some kind of fair, or something at the performance grounds. Lots of booths, and eating, and the buying of things. After a bit I realized most of the people were seniors. It was neat.
It’s a boy band?The celebrity inside was a pretty ladyThis is apparently a popular stand, I think they were giving out samples
Tasted like folgers, they tricked me!So many little dogs today
After all that I wanted lunch.
This is a chain of some kind, the cafeteria style service was very friendly. All the ladies spoke english!It was good. The rice had fish bits in it and the tuna was perfectly cooked
It was getting cold so I just wandered in the direction of my hotel. Luckily there were things to see, and it wasn’t far.
This shopping area has been put on crack or something, so many shopsAllisa, remember that kitkat museum we were so dissatisfied with? Well this shop had one additional flavorThey were okayThese covered arcades are really popular here. You’re still outside so the air is really fresh.So much like Times Square, called Dotonbori. Completely insaneI had to wait in line to get the picture. The Glico man is a famous landmarkThe energy on this street was awesomeIll give you one guess what this restaurant servesDittoIf you look carefully, you can see Froggy up there
Like a beacon in the dark, the Don Quixote calls to me with promises of a cheap dinnerThis smorked cheese was pretty good
Travels with Froggy and Other Stuff 