Plaza Osaka

... The bus ride back from the temples was quite the experinece. The bus was packed. It was very hard to get off the bus at our stop. You have to get off the bus at the front of the bus which meant we had to push our way thorugh everyone. You actually get on the bus at the back door and you get off at the front. You pay your fair when you get off.

We ended the morning at a large ...

Yuki picked us up today at 8 am. He drives a red Honda Odyssey which is equipped with an incredible GPS system. He uses a joy stick to enter destinations and control viewing of the map. The vehicle also has a back-up camera which has a grid to help him park between the lines (in Japan they park the vehicle by backing it up into the parking stall).

It rained all morning, but cleared up in the afternoon.

Kyoto is ...

We arrived in Osaka at 7am after two 7 hour flights and a 3 hour stopover in KL... what is sleep again?
The excitement of being in Japan kept us going all day though, and we managed to fit in a visit to Osaka castle, surrounded by deciduous trees in all beautiful shades of yellow and red (even Bevan thought it was pretty). We also visited Amerika Mura, the square to sit in and ...

... also says that it is important to make sure the cattle feel relaxed, and also naturally to keep the cowsheds clean. But what took me by surprise was that the cattle listen to music all day long!

I asked whether the cattle are fed beer and given massages with sake to produce better quality beef, according to the myth believed by some overseas.

They flatly denied it with the simple phrase, “No beer, No massage”!

The cattle are shipped before they ...

... i.e. clubs for live music).

I hung out with Mek* one l*st time in her neck of the woods, Kyoto. I enjoyed meeting her friend, Kiyomi, *nd * group of young film students helping her with * "zombie" video to promote her l*test *lbum.

Tnx, *g*in, hometown girl, Mek*!

-----
J*P*NESE WOMEN LIKE *MERIC*N MEN!:)

* guy cold le*rn to like J*p*n:)...

It seems th*t some J*p*nese women re*lly like *meric*n guys. They're *ttr*cted to blue eyes ...

... honest and our visit was very enjoyable. Osaka as a city is not very special but it is pleasant as far as big cities go. Downtown is a real riot at night and great for people-watching: especially the shopping arcades where Japanese young people strut along in their favourite outfits. We've seen the most outlandish costumes, straight out of a manga comic. The fashion here is completely different from the ...

... all come alive after sunset for some of the craziest nightlife I've ever seen on a Wednesday night. Japanese cities follow the maxim of "if you can't build out, build up". Hence the phenomenon of taking the elevator up to the pub on the sixth floor. Unlike in most places, where you can wander around and peek in from the street to find somewhere fun to go, here, you pretty much have to have a destination in advance. Oh, and the fashion thing applies double in the evening ...

... is slightly different to Australia in that you purchase a ticket for a certain value and that will get you so many stops. If you purchase a ticket that is less than the value required you use a fare adjustement machine to pay the difference and out you go. very nifty. Chantelle managed to run into one of her old teachers just by hanging out on a floor for 5 minutes which was clever and we took a little tour around. Feeling a bit peckish after ...

... to look for some at Nagoya so that we could have our lunch on the train to Takayama. We were so overwhelmed by what we saw at the basement of the shopping mall... the huge varieties and freshness of bento. With much difficulty, we chose some shushi set. We bought some warm Japanese tea. The journey to Takayama was two thumbs up!

... moss. When I say completely covered, I mean it: the ground is literally carpeted with moss. As one sign read, "Very Important moss (like VIP)" I think that Ginkakuji should be called "Midorikakuji," or "Green Pavilion." In all seriousness, this was the most beautiful view of nature I have yet had in Japan. Strolling on the paths up the mossy hill that overlooks the temple in the glow of the setting sun was breathtaking. The sound of wooden clapping sticks beating slowly at first ...