[Not] Very Japan
Trip Start
Dec 16, 2007
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38
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Trip End
Feb 24, 2008
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Osaka,
Japan
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
The particular subway line that runs through Shin-Osaka is actually above-ground, running in the middle of a north-south, cross-city arterial road. It took a little while to make our way north, further from the centre of Osaka, in true Japan style stopping at all of the unevenly spaced stations. We disembarked at Senri-Chuo station, the last station on the line and part of the section that is owned by the Kita-Osaka Kyūkō Railway (private), meaning that a supplement had to be paid for using our all day subway tickets at the fare adjustment machines when exiting the station.
At Senri-Chuo one can make an easy change to the Osaka Monorail, our goal in the north of Osaka. The high elevated track offered us nice views of outer Osaka as well as the old Expo '70, which the monorail cuts through. A lengthy philosophical conversation about the difference between life in Australia and Japan later and we found ourselves pulling into Dainichi Station, another subway interchange.
We rode the somewhat tired Tanimachi Line just 2 stops before deciding to cut our loses, make a faster journey across town and hopefully score seats by changing to the Imazatosuji Line.
Series 0
This line was far more modern (I later discovered it was built in 2006), featured shorter trains powered with an overhead supply. What's more it was fast, clean and had enough seats for the light loading of passengers. After some more stops we had to change to the once more dated Chuo line for a crowded cross-town trip, bringing us Bentencho Station and the Museum of Modern Transportation.The Museum of "Modern" Transportation was an interesting experience. We arrived just in time to watch them run the model train layout, which was cool as it was crammed full of Japanese trains. We also got to share the experience with several primary school groups, who sometimes seemed just as interested in us whitey freaks as they were in the cool trainset behind the glass. Moving on, we perused the displays and Steve showed a lot of interest in the Series 0 Shinkansen they had there, posing for lots of photos and having a blast sitting up in the cab. The displays that they had were good, especially the newer interactive ones, but overall the museum was becoming a bit stale and hardly "modern".
From the museum, which is actually attached to the subway and under the JR station, we were once again on the Chuo line, continuing westward to the port redevelopment area. At the CosmoSquare terminus we disembarked and begun the 10 minute walk along the deserted waterfront, in the strong icy breeze, to Osaka's Maritime Museum. It was very shocking to experience such an absence of people in Japan and for once when we arrived at the museum the staff seemed shocked to see people!
Beginning in the main building on the "mainland" we descended on a glass lift to the basement level, where we were greeted by a blue arch tunnel stretching to a set of escalators.
Woosh
Through the tunnel we walked, under the water of Osaka's harbour, enjoying the view through the water viewing windows in the roof. Arrival into the main part of the museum was dramatic; rising up from the underwater level on an escalator under a full-size, sail-able replica of a Japanese sailing cargo boat in the middle of a giant glass dome. Glass lifts took us to the top level to begin our circular downward adventure, popping into exhibit spaces on each floor, enjoying the views of the harbour as we went. Our visit ended with a walk aboard the replica boat with a few explanations of the boat's construction and use provided by the friendly staff member dressed as a sailor of old.There is only 1 way back to the "mainland"; the underwater tunnel so back we travelled before enjoying an ice cream lunch from the museum's vending machine cafe. Yes, it was unconventional but so was the Maritime Museum, specifically its lack of people and the green walk along the port back to CosmoSquare Station.
We were becoming sick of the dated Chuo Line by the time we made across town once more to Osaka Castle so we rushed up the stairs to view the map of the Castle's surrounding park. Steve and I were simply planning the most interesting route through the gardens, with a view of finishing at the nearby JR station, having looped most of the grounds. Unfortunately an elderly (we would soon learn 80+ years old) Japanese man thought that our pointing and discussions meant that we were lost.
Light at the End
He thought we were trying to make our way to the Castle and insisted he show us the way so we politely followed. During our walk behind this man through the gardens we discussed his age in relation to World War 2 and if he secretly held a grudge against us anglophones and wanted to get us lost. Our calculations showed he would've been too young to fight and it turned out that he was just trying to help us after all.The man delivered us to the cherry blossom grove on the eastern side of the moat and castle so we thanked him before wandering around on a loop to the western side then back to the north east, where the JR station was to be found. The castle is an impressive tall structure that I like more than Tokyo's sprawled Imperial Palace although my memories of the latter's gardens are nicer than those around the Osaka Castle.
With another historic site under our belts the JR Osaka Loop Line took us north to Osaka Station. We were standing at the front of the train and were thus afforded an interesting view through the cab of the passing railway infrastructure, the signals showing how close we were to the train in front in this congested railway environment.
Dinner was at Lotteria at Shin-Osaka Station before retiring to the hotel ahead of another travel day. Lotteria proved to be a cheaper (quality-wise) version of MOS Burger but it is big in some parts of Japan so we had to try it out sooner or later. Nothing can diminish our love of MOS Burger.
