Return to Osaka Castle, Osaka, Japan 2023/Carlos Pueblo

 Return to Osaka Castle, Osaka, Japan 2023/Carlos Pueblo

Osaka Castle was first built by the famous Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1583, the current one was a re-built of the third times. We took a JR train of Osaka Loop from our Fukushima Station to the Park for only four stops. I need to mention to our hotel at Fukushima that is a old city center with several famous names in Osaka history, i.e., the Umeda section, Umeda Kawa Bridge, the Kita no Shin Chi, and the famous Kabuki play Sonezaki Shinju, a double suicide love story. Kita no Shinchi is Osaka's Ginza in Tokyo. I know these because I have been doing self study Japanese for years. I am glad that Michelle selects this hotel for us to stay.

We entered the city park early to see many venders preparing for the Cherry Blossom Festival. Cherry groves were fully in blossom. We first walked pass the plum garden and was a week late to miss the plum blossom, the Japanese plum called Ume flowers. We could see some small green fruits formed on branches. Then, there were lovely cherry blossom all over with various kinds at leas

t I knew one called Yashino cherry blossom. I also took some attractive photos for newly coming out red pink blossom. We didn't intend to enter the castle this time; however, there was a long line waiting outside to purchase tickets to enter. Hideyoshi almost unified the entire Japan; therefore, he built the largest castle at that time in Japan. Osaka Castle is not so famous as three other castles, the Himeji Castle, the Kumamoto Castle, and the Matzumoto Castle; yet I felt like an emperor's residence. Of course, the current Emperor's in Tokyo is also great; yet it was built by Tokugawa Ieyasu who had a little bit low key attitude than Hideyoshi.

I found some Japanese young girls accompanied with their parents with traditional Kimono in some beautiful spots to take photos. I know that is an unique ceremony for their even year birthday, like 20 years old, the most important one, etc. With their permission, I took some photos of them with Amy for our collection. They are about our granddaughters age if we would have one.

We wnet out to have a lunch break in a big office building and shopping center outside of the Castle park. We had had a very delicious meal and thanks to the dollar's exchange rate. Amy helped me for a large warm sake. 

Upon our return to the castle, we ran into a group of Taiwanese tourists. They recommended us visit the Kiyomitsu Temple in Kyoto on the next day. We went back to the peach garden to take more photos of lovely red peach flowers.