Post pilgrimage 3 - Osaka & Yoyogi park

Tuesday started up with nice weather all around which was nice since I was planning to go explore the Osaka castle properly today and it had nice big park along side.

Hotel location was bit less than optimal so I had no close stations except Osaka station which...well I decided to skip today. So instead I took the walk which takes more time but hey got to see more of Osaka. Not that anything spectacular came into route but a least bridge had a  nice view.

Castle itself gave me bang of nostalgia remembering last time here 2.5 years ago but this time I had more time at hand. Last time I had little time and was meeting with two japanese so didn't get to spend that much time. Didn't even get to see any of the parks along it.

So obviously this time I went to the outer wall area that had nice little park to walk. Too bad cherry season is mostly over but still colourful enough. Seems lady of the lord of castle used to live here.

There was also storehouse for castle's powder and cannon balls in the area. Weirdly the storehouse felt like it should be able to visit but OTOH what looked like entrance was closed. Maybe temporarily closed for visit?

Resting place inside the park with chance to take photo of yourself in old clothing but I already have one of those and putting those on takes a lot of time.

Maybe some sort of museum?

After this detour I entered the castle proper. As expected it was museum much like other castles with various items, swords, paintings, writings etc, on view. Alas the 2 floors with most interesting targets for photos were no-photos areas. Ah well.

On the top there was, as usual, viewing platform for seeing city from tall location.

All in all very similar to other castles. Would be more interesting probably if you know or are interesting in war history but those names and dates said nothing to me. Still got to see nice view from the top and enjoy markmanship in swords and armour(some that had rather ridiculously big helmet ornaments!).

Recreation of some famous battle nearby in miniature form I presume.

The "protect castle from fire" fish ornament.

Getting out of castle it was time to eat something. Specifically okonomiyaki that I was PRETTY sure it's osaka speciality. Alas this was just small food stand outside the castle so probably not best example of Osaka speciality...But still good.

After this I got around doing bit of shopping before heading to hotel leaving stuff, taking shower.

On my way to hotel I ran into series of rather...interesting...adds.

Almost 30 euro's for 1 hour rest?

Hiding house?

"Free guidance place". Age limit 18...

Humhum. Now I COULD be wrong but I think my hotel was located close to what could be said to be red light district of Osaka. And that "rest place" has got to be love hotel for couples who want to be in private :D (Rather than say at own room in parent's house...)

I then headed toward meeting with Osakan person I had met before in Finland in rather memorable trip where neither of us got to the national park without incidents like my car's battery dying reaching it. Gave some laughs at that trip.

This time we talked and talked over dinner of ramen in what seems to be rather famous restaurant there. Pretty good food as well(well one expects if it's famous...). Luckily we lucked out and didn't have THAT much waiting before we got in. Have to say as a Finn idea of having to wait outside in a line before getting seat in restaurant feels odd! Don't think that's particularly common thing in Finland...Though seems there ARE such restaurants based on later digging but I don't recall having to wait for a seat.

Fun meeting. Lucky that she contacted me when she noticed I had come to Osaka. Decision to come to Osaka was so sudden that I had entirely forgotten to check do I know somebody from Osaka!

But with this Osaka trip was over. Wednesday came and I headed for Osaka station but thanks to yesterday I had got enough idea about the underground shopping venue that I actually managed to get straight into the station! Woop! Maybe I could learn to get around here. Well don't know when I visit Osaka again but not impossible.

Breakfast on the hotel. The hotel provided breakfast which surprised me for the price of one night.

Trip to Tokyo wasn't anything worthy of notes except I forgot to look for the Mount Fuji! Damn! Forgot entirely. Rather embarrassing...I found out my lodging for a while, took a shower(carrying all the books I keep buying gets heavier and heavier) and headed back out again meeting yet another japanese I have met before, actually multiple times. And today we would be meeting in rather nostalgic place in Futako-tamagawa station. I have actually been here multiple times meeting with Japanese or going to temple nearby that has tunnel you walk through in pitch darkness. If I had arrived sooner to Tokyo I would have gone there again but it was well past 5PM so closed already.

First view around Kanda station I would be staying for a few days.

What's with this place being so common meeting point for me?-) Not particularly big or central location so not that...Funny coincidence.

Well I had plenty of time to kill so looking for things to do I spotted Tokyuu food festival. Visited that once in Shibuya and went again. Now this place is just NUTS! Probably anything you can buy in Japan for food can be found here. The place is just ridiculously large with food and ingredients of all kinds there. To explore it properly needs more time and of course as short term tourist not really in position to cook myself so ingredients were off but did get big nikuman and some other meat ball things that I can warm up later.

Then I tried to head to book store(surprise...not!) but person I was waiting arrived so headed back.

Another nice dinner talking over about various subjects. Seems she's heading back to Europe soon. She seems to have habit of escaping Japan's summer to less hot enviroments. I'm somewhat jealous of how she can just do that! Albeit she does that by quitting her job and getting new one later but still...

Thursday. 20th April. I had yet another meeting arranged for early noon. I also needed to do laundry as I had last set of clean clothes going on so had scouted coin laundry near Yoyogi park. Very far from my lodging but this way I could visit my favourite park while at it.

Third time I have met with this women and every time same station. Getting rather familiar :D I was on the move well ahead time and since last train would be only 2 minutes I figured it was pretty close. Verifying on the map and sure enough just off the corner so to speak so I figured that since I had time let's walk! Pretty easy walk too. First straight up, then on T-corner turn left and then straight until station comes.

Too bad on route was book off...Like the book addict I am I entered and came along with bulk purchase of attack of titan manga volumes 1-21. Whoops!

As usual for these meetings we went for a restaurant to talk about this and that(particular interest for her was finnish school system since she works as a teacher). This time to onigiri(rice ball) restaurant! Never heard of a restaurant where main course is rice balls! Japan keeps throwing curve balls at me. But still good one and side dishes were also good. But rice balls? I associate those as quick snacks rather than being...well main part of the restaurants menu!

Unusual meeting this year so far in that as usual for her she wanted to practice her english so I spent more time talking english than usual here. Felt bit rusty actually. I don't get much chances to use english myself either...

After parting our ways I headed toward station west of the Yoyogi park, dropped in clothes to laundry and headed to the Yoyogi park for a quick visit before I had to head to put washed clothes into drier. Ah it was nostalgic. I didn't get to visit Yoyogi park last year due to time issues(7 days is not that much to spend in Japan if you have Chichibu pilgrimage and meeting with 2 groups of friends to do as well) so last time I was here was 2015 summer so almost 2 years ago. Had been looking forward to this. Alas cherry trees had dropped their leaves long time ago so I didn't get to enjoy that but it was still beautifull.

After getting my laundry dried up I headed back to the park for some more walk in the park and quick meal. I had got some stuff from convenience store and also arriving to the park's front gate bought some takoyaki(octopus pieces inside some sort of wrapping) which is starting to become like my tradition when coming to Yoyogi park. That's actually first japanese food I ever got to eat in Japan. First time in Japan first meals were actually Italian(since that's what I first managed to find when I was hungry) but coming to the Yoyogi park got some of these from food stall. I had read lots of praise for them so was curious to try it. Ever since I have eaten those when ever I have had chance(I even got chance to try cooking them!) and...well pretty much every time I have come to this park which is quite often!

 Takoyaki! Tasty quick snack Japanese style. Slices of octopus inside a ball with something in the top.

 On the platform next to lake(artificial) I got chance to see old guy drawing the view visible there. That was interesting. I sure wish I could draw like that but drawing has never been my strong points and don't really have time to learn it plus I would like to study under guidance but not much good chances for that. Simply drawing on my own doesn't seem to help much. But this was drawing it quite well and could recognize the scene easily. Would have liked to talk with him but he was so concentrated on drawing didn't want to risk startling him and maybe cause error with the inking he was doing.

Above photo is pretty much the view he was drawing(minus humans).

 After I left park I dropped in for quick visit to Meiji shrine nearby since it was so close. But shrines hold bit less interest for me than the temples so was just a quick visit. After that I went to the Harajuku and did loop through the take-no-shita walking street that's basically street full of fashionable clothing, accessories, bags etc. Probably more interesting for females(and lots of them there) and generally younger than I am but it's funny to just try to navigate through it. I also considered buyin crepe which while not exactly healthy dessert is bloody good and famous for here but...well lines too long for my taste so skipped that one.

After getting back to lodging I decided to do bit of restaurant & bar hopping going to several restaurants eating something little and switching places. I haven't done this before as usually I just go to one place and eat(and drink) until I'm satisfied but let's try!

First I went to some restaurant that had yakitori of various kinds. Tasty! Though looking at the menu not sure I should be checking exactly WHAT kind of meat it is :D Some at least were heart and livers....

After that I spotted gyoza restaurant! GYOZA! I love those so went in and ordered a set! 

After this was feeling quite stuffed so wasn't definitely looking for anything big to eat so seeing small stand selling taiyaki that are basically fish shaped pasties with fillings. I went for (still hot) apple jam.

With this I was pretty much done and feeling bit tipsy from beer headed toward my lodging when I spotted a bar. I decided to go in and drink 1, maybe 2 beers before calling it for a day.

Now let's just say this resulted in one of the most unusual bar trips I have had in Japan. I stepped in and noticed there were already quite a many visitors filling the rather small room(japan has lots of small restaurants and bars with maybe 10 persons or less) so I asked if there would be still room for one more. Well 2 of the existing customers made room between themselves and almost dragged me there :D This prompted up conversation and one of the two was also rather heavily drunk and very much opposite of reserved. I have never had japanese person act like that :) From slapping happily my shoulders(afterwards I could swear there were black bruises on my shoulders!) to putting head to my shoulders(at times I wondered did he pass out on my shoulders!) and...well you get the picture :) He also kept repeating same questions over and over again in rather amusing patterns ;) I had fun though.