Osaka (大阪) is the 3rd largest city in Japan after Tokyo & Yokohama.. With a population of 2.5 million, it is also very different from TokyoOsaka used to be known as Naniwa. Before the Nara Period, when the capital used to be moved with the reign of each new emperor, Naniwa was once Japan’s capital city.In the 16th century, Toyotomi Hideyoshi chose… Read More Osaka
Shirokita Park is next to the Yodogawa River in Osaka. Shirokita Park covers 9.5 hectares and features many seasonal flowers including cherry blossom (April), chrysanthemum (November) and lilies (May and June). The Lily Garden features around 13,000 plants.of 250 species can be roughly divided into three types, Edo, Ise, and Higo.In May and June, they blossom into beautiful colors of bluish… Read More Shirokita Park, Osaka
The present shrine buildings date from 1957 – rebuilt after their destruction in WWII. With a history of over 1,100 years, Ohatsu-Tenjin is the protector of the Sonezaki and Umeda areas. It is also the site of a double suicide in 1703 that was later retold in Sonezaki Shinju, a famous Bunraku puppet play written… Read More Ohatsu Tenjin shrine, Osaka
Osaka Castle is one of Japan’s most famous, and played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century of the Azuchi-Momoyama period.In 1583 Toyotomi Hideyoshi commenced construction on the site of the Ikkō-ikki temple of Ishiyama Hongan-ji. The basic plan was modeled after Azuchi Castle, the headquarters of Oda Nobunaga. Toyotomi wanted to build a castle that mirrored Oda’s, but surpassed it… Read More Osaka Castle
Just Life in Japan 