Outrageous Osaka

I've just been to Osaka Castle - the only one with a lift in the middle. Alas, only the outer shell remains, as the inner decor has been modernised to accommodate a museum. It features the story of the castle and also that of its creator Toyotomi Hideyoshi who ordered work be started on it in 1583.

There are some fine models and a detailed 2-part folding screen showing the battle for the Castle between one of Hideyoshi's sons and the forces of Tokugawa Ieyasu. The latter was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan which ruled from 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868.

The "steroscopic" pictures just gave me a headache.

In the evening, I went to the West of Osaka, to the Bayside to go up the WTC Tower, which has 52 floors and is a quarter of a kilometre high. There were spectacular views of the city, the sea and traffic crossing bridges as well as the nearby, illuminated, Ferris wheel.

I was due to meet H at my Kyoto hotel at 8pm but due to train problems which meant no trains circulated on the Osaka loop for over half an hour, forcing me to take a detour using 2 metro lines, I did not arrive until 9:30pm. OK, so I was running half an hour late due to my tower ascent but 1 hour of my tardiness was not down to me. I did try to ring H but left a message, which she did not get. However, I did manage to speak to her a 9pm.

We went to a karaoke bar, where a Singaporean friend of hers works. She sang Chinese, Japanese and Carpenters' songs beautifully whilst I stunned the audience with my butchering of Robbie Williams' "Feel" and the Chilli's "Californication".

As I had told H I spoke French, she asked me to sing French songs. The only ones I could find were Vanessa Paradis' "Joe le Taxi" and a couple from the Yves Montand oeuvre. I swear my singing French was more melodious than my English.

Japanese journey

I'm typing this from the FREE net kiosk near gates 56-63 (T1 international terminal) and waiting for my Osaka plane. I plan to check out the castle but I'll be staying in Kyoto and hope to go to an onsen with my karaoke - bar - owning friend.





Kansai Airport is unusual in being sited on an island. It is connected by the mainland by a bridge and a tunnel.

It has replaced Osaka Airport for most international flights.

Going Down Under

I'm off to Australia today - for a month - the maximum my travel insurers will allow.

The plan is to be in Melbourne for the first week to catch the Australian Open (1 of the 4 Tennis Grand Slams), Sydney for the second week, Cairns & Great Barrier Reef to learn to dive for the third week & Brisbane for 1/2 week.

Finally, I'm flying back via Japan to spend a couple days in Kyoto and Osaka, again.

I passed through Osaka and spent a couple of days in Kyoto in 2005.