We didn’t try Kobe beef today (though we’ve had it in our past) and we didn’t have any Kobe sake which is said to be quite wonderful because of the quality of the water. However, we did take the tour to Osaka Castle, about a half hour away. I’m not sure what’s more impressive – the castle itself, the amount of effort it took to construct the walls, or the number of times it’s burned down and been restored. There’s an elevator which takes you up to the 5th level but from there you have to walk up 3 more flights. Our guide described it as a ladder, which had a few of the tourists a bit nervous. Turns out there was a bit of translation angst – it was just a steep staircase with sturdy handrails. On each level are museum displays. And, no rain!
By order of the shogunate, the tasks for
constructing the stone walls were shared
among the sixty-four daimyo (feudal
lords) across western Japan. As evidence
of this, stones inscribed with the various
daimyo’s crests can be seen in the walls
even now……
It is thought that the large size of the
castle walls, as well as their refined and
orderly beauty, are a result of the daimyo
staking their prestige on the quality of
their workmansh
from www.gov-online.go.jp
