Sayonara

An entire store dedicated to Godzilla!

November 17, 2025

“Listen, this is my death poem:

Like dew I was born Like dew I vanish.

Osaka Castle and all that I have ever done

is but a dream within a dream.”

– James Clavell, Shōgun: The Epic Novel of Japan

“Oh my….”

- The reported last words of Steve Jobs before he died

Osaka was always on the list to try and see.  Although we did not have enough time to really do it justice.  Its too big and you can spend an entire trip here alone.  So we strove to just take a peek at it.

This is the 2nd largest city in Japan with a population of around 19 million people.  It is a heady mix of old culture and modernity.  Japan’s oldest Buddhist temple, founded 1400 years ago, is here as well as the Stock Exchange and several major universities.  It is known as “The Kitchen of Japan” for its may restaurants and street food stalls.

Osaka is also an entertainment hub.  There is a major theme park here, a world class aquarium, endless bars, restaurants, and themed attractions.  It is too big.

Retail stores are vibrant here. Huge crowds even on weekday nights. I am sure Keystone Mall would love to have this kind of traffic.

And the obligaotry Cat Cafe, except, very high end cat breeds, very clean, and little to no smell! (There are also dog and Mini Pig cafes!)

Osaka played a significant role in Japanese history.  It has an important harbor and merchant class.  The first capitol was here.  Osaka castle, made famous in the novel Shogun, is here.  It was founded in 650 CE.

The Glico candy company was looking for a new logo for a caramel sweet they created.  In 1935 they turned to an image of an athlete winning a race.  The “Glico Running Man” was inspired by not one but three runners, including Japanese marathoner Shizu Kanaguri and Filipino sprinter Fortunato Catalon.

The sign has had several modifications over the years but came to symbolize the fighting spirit of the city and has become a beloved icon.

At night -

It sits overlooking a canal at the entrance of the Dontonbori neighborhood.

If you take an area and combine Times Square, a blocks long food court, over the top garish decorations, insane lighting, endless bars, amusement rides, and just a touch of a red light district then you have Dontonbori.

Octopus balls, or takoyaki are a signature Osaka street food made from a flour-based batter with chopped octopus inside, cooked in a special molded pan

It is so over the top that you just walk along slack jawed at all the visuals .  It is also very Japanese.  It celebrates bright, glaring pop culture and exceptional food all in one street. I have never seen anything like it.

I enjoyed their version of Okonomiyaki which, in my view, is better than the Hiroshima version and remains my favorite thing to eat on this trip.

Okonomiyaki

We made the pilgrimage to Osaka Castle in the afternoon.  Unlike some of the other castles we visited, this one is a reproduction.  The original was struck by lightning in 1931 and its great wood construction was burnt to the ground.  All that survived was the stone foundation.

I finished the Shogun novel before the trip and this place played a major role in the tale.  It was here that the evil Lord Ishido Kazunari held court.  And it was within these walls that the noble Lady Mariko met her end  All of this against such a backdrop made for a epic tale of intrigue, romance and grandeur. I know the book has been out since the 1970’s and I am late to the party to read it, but to be here so soon after completing it was really magical.

Massive stones in the walls. How they moved them here is a mystery

We were sitting on a bench facing the back of the hulking mass that is Osaka Castle looming some 14 stories above us.  The weather was mildly warm and clear and a soft breeze stirred the trees above us.  The leaves drifted down like quiet confessions, brushing my shoulders as they came to rest around me — a gentle reminder that even endings can be beautiful.

Our time here is only a few more hours.  We need to go home.

It was one of those moments where clarity strikes and you see your surroundings differently.  If I were a Buddhist, I guess you would call it enlightenment.

We are both tired from the long trip and still a little sick.  Dreading the long ordeal of getting home and anxious for our own bed, it was easy to miss this view.

Yet here in this moment of mindfulness under the falling leaves my eyes open to the beauty of the scene.  I wanted to freeze it all and remember everything.

The reality of the impermanence of the scene struck me.  You can’t freeze it anymore than you can command the trees to hold onto their leaves.    You can only enjoy it for the moment that it is front of you.  This truth has been the reality of all of our trips.

There is so much to see here, so many things of beauty that they all run together.  All you can do is be present now.  You can feel the change in you as you see things with a new light.

Here at this moment, through the fatigue, I was reminded of the privilege of being here.   Our hearts are full of gratitude.   I wanted to remember this brief moment and this wonderful trip, sharing it with my beautiful wife and the gorgeous scene in front of me.

‘Oh my’, indeed.