Japan, Week 2: Osaka and Day Trips

Thursday, June 11: Sumiyoshi Taisha and Dotonbori

We explored Sumiyoshi Taisha, including the big red bridge over the pond. There were stone lanterns all around the grounds and a few turtles in the water.

Lunch was tonkatsu with rice, soup, and a small mountain of shredded cabbage.

That evening we headed into Dotonbori. Giant signs, bright lights, and people everywhere along the canal. Quite a change from the shrine.

Friday, June 12: Nara

We took the train to Nara to see the deer. They were all over the park, including right beside the paths. The kids had plenty of company.

We visited Todai-ji and went inside to see the enormous Buddha. The building is pretty impressive before you even get through the door.

Then we walked over to Kasuga Taisha. More deer along the way, followed by rows of hanging lanterns at the shrine.

Back in Osaka, there was still time to look through a few shops around Namba.

Saturday, June 13: Baseball in Osaka

Wesley and I went to a baseball game at Kyocera Dome. We got a picture outside, checked out the food options, and found our seats.

There was also more exploring around Kohama, with food stops and a few pictures of the shopping street.

Sunday, June 14: Kishi Station and Tama

Today we headed down to Wakayama to visit Kishi Station, home of the cat stationmasters. Tama was the reason for this side trip. We changed trains in Wakayama and rode the Kishigawa Line out through the countryside. The themed trains were part of the fun before we even got there.

The original Tama was a calico cat who became stationmaster in 2007. People started coming just to see her, helping bring passengers back to a struggling railway. A pretty impressive accomplishment for a cat. She died in 2015 and has a shrine on the station platform. Other cats have carried on the stationmaster job since then.

The station itself looks like a cat’s face, right down to the ears on the roof. There’s a Tama shop and a cafe, so there are plenty of ways to spend a little more time with the cats. The one we saw was asleep behind the glass. Tough job.

We stopped at the cafe for a few cat-themed treats before heading back. What an amazing side trip. We went all that way for a cat station, and it was absolutely worth it.

Back in Wakayama, we visited the castle. The walk up involved quite a few stone steps. We went inside and got a look out over the city.

Monday, June 15: Happy Birthday, Wesley!

Wesley turned 17 today! We also made a stop in Sakai for the crafts museum and some knife shopping. I wanted a Japanese knife, and we were in Sakai. What better place!

The salesperson was very helpful and let us hold all the knives. She had lived in Michigan for a year. I ended up with two, which they wrapped in paper with red tape. A little more useful than most souvenirs.

Wesley chose Ganko in Namba for his birthday meal. There was time for more shopping around Namba too.

Ady and I found a strawberry cake at Takashimaya, the department store in the train station. We brought it back to the Airbnb and added the candles. Happy Birthday, Wesley!

Tuesday, June 16: Kyoto

Another day trip, this time to Kyoto. We went up to Kiyomizu-dera and explored the temple grounds and the streets nearby. Lots of stairs and lots of pictures.

We also stopped to see the owls. This one was keeping a close eye on things.

The boys found Mario on the roof at Nintendo Kyoto. We finished the day back in Osaka with another stop at CoCo Ichibanya.

Wednesday, June 17: Getting ready to move

We got ready for the trip back to Tokyo. Yamato picked up our bags, and we kept things close to the Airbnb and Kohama shopping street. A quieter day before another train ride.