Osaka - Day 11

In one word: Wooooooooooooooooooooow. Just 20 minutes from Kyoto, and suddenly we are in an entirely different world. A world where buildings rise up to the heavens and the density of people grows exponentially. I read that Osaka is the second largest city in Japan, and it differs from Tokyo by being more relaxed. Like Tokyo, it is a port city and incredibly vast. Streets that seem to go on forever. These lead into more and more smaller alleys, all forming a dense labyrinth.

We started at the castle. Osaka has a castle that is surrounded by a massive fortification. We explored it all, though the historical monuments in the glow of neon lights and huge towers seem somewhat smaller. For lunch, we had Okonomiyaki – a Japanese pancake prepared the traditional way with eggs and vegetables, served on a hot iron plate right in the middle of the table, allowing it to cook further. Everyone got a small spatula to cut a piece and then eat it with chopsticks.

Next, we headed to the Abeno Harukas observation deck. We took the elevator to the 60th floor, reaching 300 meters above the ground. The entire area is glass-enclosed, offering a 360-degree view in all directions. It was stunning! While we were there, the weather changed about a thousand times – from sunny to suddenly thick fog, and then to a sunset over the sea as twilight began to light up the whole of Osaka! We strolled along the observation deck (which was about 100 m long), and it was heated and insulated, making it comfortably warm. We kept walking back and forth, amazed the entire time.

Then we ventured into the nightlife of the city. We walked with the crowd towards the main street and plaza. Heads up, in awe. Boats sail through the canals, music plays, food is sold on the street... It’s alive here!