 |
Osaka Bay On July 2, we flew from Busan, South Korea to Osaka, Japan. Osaka is the third largest city in Japan. An interesting fact about the Kansai Airport is that it was built in the middle of Osaka Bay. Click here for the layout or here to learn more about how the airport was built. Click here for an aerial photo of the airport or here for a different aerial photo. After we drove across the bridge that took us to the mainland, we drove into downtown Osaka, Where we stayed at the New Hankyu Hotel(click on the map to see how close we were to the train station).
|
|
|
Osaka Skyline This picture was taken near the Osaka Castle. July, when we were there, is part of the rainy season. It rained most of the days. Osaka has served as an international gateway since the 5th century. This background as a meeting point for people, goods, and information made it into one of the great business centers of Japan. Check out the Osaka City's official page. Did you know that Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher, Hideo Nomo, was born in Osaka?
|
 |
|
 |
Trains and Subways Most of our travel in and around Osaka was done on trains and the subway (or by foot). The trains run everywhere, and it seems like a station is never far away. Here is a map of the Osaka subway system. The subway was convenient and the trains were always on time.
|
|
|
Street Mall This is actually a 'street' in Osaka. Like many streets that were laid out before the invention of automobiles, it is very narrow. Many streets are now only open to pedestrian traffic. Since it rains often, many streets have been covered with rooves to provide a dry place for people to walk and shop. So now these streets are knid of like malls.
|
 |
|
 |
Picture Vending Machine In one of the department stores Caryn and I found machines that accept memory cards from digital cameras. The machines allow you to select pictures from your memory card and get high quality prints instantly. We printed a picture from Korea. It costs about $0.40 per picture.
|
|
|
Osaka Entertainment District This is a very busy part of Osaka it is also known as Dotombori district. There are a lot of restaurants, shops, theatres, bars, and clubs. Many people ride bicycles there. Advertisers have put huge flat panel TVs on the outside of buildings so they can show there ads to the crowds of people.
|
 |
 |
Okonomi-yaki Dinner This is a type of meal served at a restaurant called, Tsuruya. Okonomiyaki is a mixture between pancake and pizza. "Okonomi" means "as you like". This refers to the ingredients. Click here to learn how to make okonomi-yaki. Like many restaurants in Japan, at Tsyuruya, you can sit on the floor while you eat. Here you get to cook your own okonomi-yaki on a grill built into your table.
|
|
|
|
 |
Nintoku's Tomb This huge tomb, located in the Osaka area near the city of Sakai, is the largest in Japan and covers nearly 80 acres. It is over 1300 ft. long, nearly 100 ft. high and is surrounded by a three-ringed moat. According to legend, it was conceived and built by emperor Nintoku, who reigned, according to the Nihon shoki from 313 to 399, but this attribution is questionable. Click here for an aerial view of the tomb. Learn more about the tomb here.
|
|
|
Hiroshima Hiroshima
|
 |
|
|
Hiroshima Hiroshima
|
|
|
Hiroshima Hiroshima
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
With more and more people waiting or not getting married, and many couples choosing to not have children, the overall population of Japan is getting older quickly. They are trying to learn how to provide for and take care of the increasingly elderly population.
Most experts agree that the United States will follow in Japan's footsteps as our overall population begins to age more quickly.
This web project called, When Flowers Fall, was created to document the aging of Japan.
|
|
|
