It's a nice day here so I took a trip back to Osaka-jo castle, the first thing I visited when I arrived in Japan, which is basically surrounded on 3 sides by cherry trees. Naturally, half of Osaka was there too.
Sakura (cherry blossom) season is a special one in Japan, and for about 2 weeks everybody revels in the opportunity for 'hanami' (blossom viewing), with parties aplenty. Every inch of space around Osaka-jo and in Osaka-jo-koen (the surrounding park) was taken up with picnics and BBQs, families and people of all ages out to enjoy this annual event. It's effectively a huge 2 week festival, complete with festival food stalls and copious amounts of beer and sake.
I have one more day in Osaka tomorrow, so I may go to Tennoji-koen for a hopefully slightly quieter (I guess Sunday is the busiest day) look at the sakura there. After that, I think I may move back to Kyoto for a couple of days to revisit a few places there while the sakura is still in the Kansai area, which should provide some spectacular photos. Beyond that, who knows (maybe Nara, finally).
Anyway, I need to do exciting things like sort through the mass of clothing I need to wash. Just one of the slightly less glamorous parts of travel, but neccessary...
More to come soon!
James
EDIT: I completely forgot to mention my last night in Naha, Okinawa. I went back to this great little microbrewery on Kokusai-dori (the absolutely crazy 'international street') called Helios, and the bartender, who I had previously become quite friendly with, mentioned that it was his birthday. It was also his co-worker's first day working in Helios, and it was my last day in Okinawa. These three events combined meant that the three of us went out to this great little bar/restaurant that only a local would know about.
There was a 'moat' of hot water in front of the counter (which seated all of about 6 people) into which you put your feet (without shoes and socks, obviously). This was a strange but quite relaxing feeling - sitting in a bar/restaurant with your feet in warm water is not something you do every day. The three of us had a great time there, as did the chef, who seemed to delight in bringing out samples of various foods to test the nerve (and stomach) of this foreigner. Trying them all, they weren't too bad - until he brought out salted fish intestines, which were probably the worst thing I have ever eaten in my life, not because they were fish intestines but rather because it was unbelievably salty. I need to bring a jar of it home if I can find it, because my companions found my reaction absolutely hilarious (and rightly so, too), and I'd love to share the experience...
All in all, not a bad night. It's not often you get invited to a birthday party in a foreign country, and it was definately a great example of Japanese hospitality, providing some real lasting memories...and lasting tastes, too...
