Japan - Day Three - Koyasan

 

Today’s trip took us into the mountains to Koyasan, with its temples, historic cemetery and World Heritage area. At Namba station, we picked up our World Heritage tickets, covering the day’s trains, cable car and buses, and set off. It was our first train journey beyond the city, passing paddy fields and crops rather than livestock before winding up into the mountains.

At the end of the railway line (Gokurakubashi), we boarded the steep cable car—quite a ride in itself! From the top, we could see across the mountains towards Osaka. My breathing was fine, and we took a moment to enjoy the view rather than rush for the buses. The first two filled quickly, but the third had only about ten or twelve passengers. We passed the great gate without stopping, then got off early to explore the town.

We arrived around 10.30 or 11 am, as the shops were opening. Our first stop was a small hillside shrine, followed by a wander past the souvenir shops. The main temple complex was much more impressive, with buildings of different shapes, sizes and eras, each serving its own purpose. There was plenty to take in among the temples and gardens.

Next, we headed towards the old cemetery. The bus information kept suggesting a half-hour wait, so we walked instead and reached it in about twenty minutes. We hadn’t realised there was still roughly two kilometres to walk through it to the bus stop at the other end. It was a beautiful, solemn place: enormous cedar trees towered over ancient stone graves, thick with moss, while little streams ran between them. What struck us was the silence. We’d noticed the lack of birdsong on the mountain, and here it was just as quiet—very different from what we were used to in Australia or New Zealand.

Afterwards, we caught the bus back, visited the museum and explored a couple more small temples before retracing our journey home. Back at the railway station, the platform sat above a stream that looked as though it could become a torrent in a storm. Thankfully, we’d had fine weather all day. It was dark by the time we returned to Osaka, so we picked up some food on the walk to the hotel. A fantastic day, with mountain scenery, fascinating temples and a cemetery walk we wouldn’t forget.

Japan - Day Two - Osaka Castle

 

Day Two – Osaka Castle

 

We woke to clear skies and sunshine—a welcome change from yesterday’s rain. With Osaka Castle opening at 10 am, we had time for a leisurely breakfast before walking to Namba station and taking two trains to the castle. We arrived just after opening, ahead of the crowds. The castle was impressive, with well-kept grounds and plenty of photo opportunities. Although the building itself was relatively recent, the exhibits offered a fascinating look at the castle, the city and the sometimes gruesome history of its occupants. We took the lift to the fifth floor, then climbed the stairs another two levels. Afterwards, we strolled through the gardens and enjoyed the sunshine, stopping for candied fruit and crab sticks before leaving around 1 pm.

 

 

A single train took us from the castle to the shopping complex for an afternoon of fabric hunting. We planned to work our way from Building 8 down to Building 3. Jin wasn’t impressed at first, but that changed in the basement of Building 6, where we found a shop packed with Liberty fabrics, including William Morris prints. She bought plenty, then found reasonably priced kimonos further along. By Building 4, my hands were already full when another bargain kimono shop tempted her into buying two more large bags. She was delighted; I was starting to wonder how we’d fit everything into our luggage and whether we’d need to post some home.

We finished shopping around 4 pm and set off on what should have been a 25-minute walk to the hotel, without checking for a bus. Carrying over 25 kilos of fabric—all of it in my hands—turned it into a 35-minute slog. I was exhausted by the time we arrived. Later, we explored the backstreets of Dotonbori for dinner. Jin was feeling more adventurous, so we tried street food including sweet doughnut bites, chicken pieces and deep-fried crunchy noodles. We were back at the hotel around 7 pm, ready to relax and get

Japan - Day One - Nara

 

Day One – Nara

We were up early for a hotel breakfast with European and Asian options, so we were both happy. After a bit of trouble finding the right platform at Namba, we caught the train to Nara. Heavy rain lasted all day, and our little umbrellas struggled to keep up. We ended up dashing between buildings and doing as much as we could before getting too cold and wet.

 

We stopped at the shops to browse souvenirs and fabrics, then headed for the big Buddha—the day’s main attraction. Feeding the deer was entertaining, especially when one tried to eat my itinerary! The main hall was crowded, but the Buddha was impressive, and we could take photos without taking our shoes off. We also found stamps to collect along the way. Between the rain and my phone struggling with poor reception, though, I didn’t get many photos.

 

After exploring a few more temples, we reached the Nara museum around 12.30, but our tickets were for 2 pm. That gave us time for lunch—katsu and a lovely bowl of ramen. The museum wasn’t quite what we’d hoped for, so afterwards we continued to the Kofukuji temples and treasury museum. I managed to buy five tickets instead of two at the machine, but gave the extras away to a grateful couple who couldn’t pay by card. By then we were both cold and wet, so we caught the train back, grabbed dinner in Dotonbori and were at the hotel by about 7 pm. An early night was just what we needed after the rain and lingering tiredness from the flights.

Japan - Day Zero

Plan - Fly Melbourne → Osaka; settle into Dotonbori

 

We flew from Melbourne to Osaka via Singapore. I’d worried about the 90-minute connection, but it was a breeze—we knew our next gate before getting off the plane and reached it with an hour to spare. 

The overnight flights were tiring, with cramped seats and disappointing food, although Singapore Airlines’ service was still very good. At Kansai, we collected our bags and cleared customs and immigration in under 15 minutes—the online arrival process and e-passports seemed to help. For less than 40 bucks, we arranged luggage delivery to the hotel by 4 pm, then headed for the train with just our backpacks.

We bought ICOCA cards and reserved first-class seats on the Nankai train, reaching Namba by 11 am—four hours before check-in.

Den Den Town wasn’t really our thing, and the lively Kuromon market felt touristy. Jennifer was exhausted, so we agreed to revisit the market and slowly walked through Dotonbori,

passing the canal boats, Ferris wheel and running man sign. Thankfully, the hotel let us check in just before 2 pm

 

We collapsed on the beds, and our bags arrived at 4 pm. Jennifer wasn’t feeling well and stayed in bed, happy with a sandwich. I was starving after the plane food, so around 4.30 or 5 pm I headed out into Dotonbori, before the crowds built up

First up was takoyaki—little savoury batter balls with octopus inside, and one of the street foods I’d been keen to try.

Then it was back to the hotel to unpack, get ready for the morning and hit the sack. Despite overlooking the canal from the sixth floor, our room was dead quiet. We finally got a good night’s sleep.

Birds are hungary

It happen every spring, late winter.

The birds get more demanding due to being hungary

There is just not enough seeds and thing to eat 

So the King Parrots become a lot more bold in asking for food.

So a feed them.

 

Pleasure of walking the Dogs

 Walking the dogs is one of lifes pleasures.

Occasionally, I take them to the Lake for a swim or a bush walk.

It just peaceful when it's me, the dogs and the birds around us.