Day 21- Shitennoji temple & Osaka castle

Really lazy start this morning, in my defence I only had 2 things to do today.

Anyway, I got to the temple around 11. It was really nice to see a temple where people were actually praying. There was a service going on when I got there so I couldn't go inside.

I did however get to go inside the pagoda. There were so many steps up to the top, but it was lovely. Unfortunately there were bars on the windows at the top, so I didn't get any good photos.

I explored for a while before getting something to eat.

First I was given what I think was kimchi.

I then had noodles with beef, I've managed to avoid rice and noodles for a while now so I was actually craving it.

I was also given some greens and some bean sprouts. These were so good, the bean sprouts were marinaded in something really tasty.

After lunch, I headed for the castle. It was really beautiful but the inside was so modern. It was like a museum. There were beautiful views from the top.

I walked down slowly, looking at all the exhibitions. The history was really interesting and it linked to what happened in Nijo castle in Kyoto.

I left the castle around 4 and took a detour back to the station. It was really beautiful.

When I got back to the hostel I met 2 french girls, we hung out for a while then they headed off to Dotonbori, I didn't fancy going because I've got an early start tomorrow. Instead I walked around to find somewhere to eat.

I had tonkatsu and udon noodle. When I ordered it I thought it was just cabbage underneath, turns out it was mainly rice. How can they eat rice and noodles in one meal??? Needless to say, I did not finish it.

I'm going to bed now, early start tomorrow.

Day 20- Osaka: Aquarium & Dotonbori

Early start this morning. My train to Osaka was 10 past 7, but it was 2 and a half hours so I slept on the train.

I got to Osaka around 10 and shoved my luggage in a locker before heading to the aquarium.

Before I went in I had lunch, it was a bit early but I was really hungry. I had chicken wings in a teriyaki sauce. It was really good.

I then went to the aquarium. I didn't know what to expect from it but it was actually pretty cool.

There was a seal upside down just staring at me for ages, it was so weird.

I also got to see a dolphin have a sonogram, it was cool but I couldn't take photos because there were so many people.

 

There was a small tank where you could pet a shark, it was so strange. They had really rough backs.

After, I went to a nearby shopping centre and had a wonder round. They had a petting zoo inside the centre.

I left to go back to the hostel around half 3. I thought I would be clever and take a different route back which would use just my JR pass, but it all went horribly wrong. I managed to get on the wrong train and ended up heading in the direction of Nara. About 20 minutes in, when the scenery started to drastically change (as in, I was in the mountains), I decided to ask someone. She was so nice and basically put me on the train.

I got back to Osaka station around 5 and picked up my luggage. This was surprisingly difficult because there were so many lockers. I eventually got my luggage and got to my hostel to check in.

I relaxed in the hostel for a while before heading off to Dotonbori around 7. I met some fellow Brits whilst I was there and we hung out for a while.

Eventually we got hungry but I decided to part ways with them at this point. 2 of them were vegetarians and it sounded like they wanted to eat something western. Definitely not what I fancied.

I found a tiny little restaurant on side street and decided to eat there.

The first thing I saw on the menu was heart, it didn't specify which animal the heart came from, the translation was just heart.

Intrigued, because I've never had heart before, I ordered it.

It was amazing. It was lightly seasoned with salt and pepper, and was so tender. So good. I'm tempted to go back again and just order lots of variations of heart.

I also ordered sardines stuffed with fish roe and prawns with roe mayonnaise. They were also really nice.

After dinner it was pretty late, so I headed back to the hostel. Now I'm off to get ready for bed.

Day 19- Kokura castle, memorial museum & Japanese gardens

Easy start this morning, left the hostel at around 10 to go to Kokura castle. The castle was beautiful.

Inside they had a full model of the city, it was amazing.

They also had a little show in silhouettes, it was so cool, would have been better if I could understand what they were saying. I got the gist, it was a replication of the kind of meetings that would go on in the castle.

They also had a little carriage that would move, it was pretty cool. It was like I was being carried around the city.

There was also a running game which would measure your speed. It would then tell you how long it would take to run that distance

There was board game, I didn't understand it because it was in Japanese.

I know it sounds silly, but it was so nice to be somewhere with so few tourists. That was until I got to the top of the castle and a scout group came traipsing through. Seriously, everywhere I've been, there has been a scout group. I can't escape them. I waited at the top of the castle for them to leave before continuing.

I wondered around the castle for a little longer before heading for the museum, the scout group was just leaving when I got to the museum. The tour guide stopped to talk to me, he was really nice. Then the Scouts came and he told them that I was from England, that really excited them for some reason.

They just sort of stared at me for a while which was weird enough, then they got their cameras and started taking photos which I found really odd. I think the american tour guide realised I was uncomfortable so he told them to stop.

After that uncomfortable encounter, I went into the museum. There wasn't anything in English so I walked through pretty quickly.

I then went to the Japanese gardens, they were beautiful. I sat on a bridge in the shade for a while. It was really lovely.

I then went to tea ceremony, first I was given red bean jelly.

Then I was given the tea. It was so nice. Frothy which I didn't expect.

Around 3, I left the gardens. There was a shopping centre nearby so I wondered around there for a while. There was a mini pool with a bubble machine and a slide for kids in the middle of the centre which was very odd.

Around 4 I realised I should probably eat something, I wondered around and somehow ended up in the market I was in yesterday.

I had some kind of chicken and some seaweed with some other vegetables. It was really nice. I just bought it from some stall in the market.

I spent a while in the market looking around before heading back to my hostel. I wasn't hungry around dinner time so I just grabbed something from 7/11

I planned my day in Osaka tomorrow and talked to my sister. I'm going to have an early night tonight, early start tomorrow.

Day 18- Off to Kitakyushu

Easy start today, direct train to Kokura in Kitakyushu. I arrived around 12 but it took me so long to find the hostel. It was so hidden, I must have walked past the hostel 3 or 4 times. In the end I asked someone and they very kindly walked me there.

I hung out in the hostel and planned what I'm going to do tomorrow. I then went to a nearby market just explore. The architecture here is really beautiful, it sort of reminds me of London.

In the market there was a Christmas tree, it was ridiculous.

Around dinner time I went to a Yaki Tori restaurant recommended by a guy who works in the hostel, no one spoke English and the menu also wasn't in English, but a lovely waitress just said she'd bring me stuff. That sounded great to me.

First I had asparagus and mushrooms in some kind of sauce, it was really good.

She then brought me some Yaki Tori which was delicious.

She also bought me a salad which wasn't what I expected. As soon as I took a bite, I realised how much I missed fresh veggies. They have cabbage and a lot of pickled vegetables but that's about it.

On my way back, I got some tea with tapioca balls in in. In the hostel I met some Japanese girls, they didn't speak much English but they were really friendly. There reaction when I told them I was 17 was hilarious, they had a whole conversation about it in Japanese. They kept saying Sugoi (which means wow).

I then talked to my Sister for a while and now I'm going to bed.