Osaka to Hamamatsu

Lots of time in the bus today but before we leave Osaka, a quick visit to the Castle gardens and to the main shopping/ food street Dotombori before we leave.    

Two moats surround the castle

The walls of the castle base have markings on them. The stones were sent from various places and the stonemasons marked them so that the warlord could see who had sent them. One stone, the octopus stone is massive .  

This Building has had a mixed history. It was a military headquarters during WW11. Following this it was a police headquarters then the city museum. Now it is a redecorated shopping and restaurant area with lovely lights. 

Hungry ? Let’s choose something at Dotombori. Like the shopping street yesterday, many shops have amazing decorations.

Lunch over ,it’s back on the bus to  Hamamatsu .  Next stop the deer park at the Kasuga-taisha shrine or Shrine of 1000 lanterns. The lanterns are made of stone or metal. The stone lanterns lead you up to the main shrine and then onto smaller shrines within the area….a bit like a cathedral with smaller chapels within it.   

You can feed the deer….just buy some deer crackers but beware they will nudge you if you run out of crackers. Personally I think I shall just look and say ‘How cute’.

Back on the bus. It is now four hours to the hotel

   Dinner:chicken rice and grated cabbage and radish, Japanese radish pickle, sesame ,seaweed and chickpea pickle, a miso  soup and rice and the white liquid in the pouring cup is yam pounded into a liquid. Everything tastes wonderful but the yam mixture has a weird texture.Bed!