Today, we traveled to Osaka! Our day began in Utsunomiya where we said (emotional) goodbyes to our host families from the previous few days and sang our traditional sending-off songs at the train station. We then had our first bullet train experience.

The first train was from Utsunomiya to Tokyo, where we boarded our next train to Osaka. The city of Osaka is west of Tokyo and sits right on the bay, making it a large port city. After meeting our new tour guide and loading the bus, our first Osaka experience was at the housing museum, a recreation of an Edo period street- read all about it in Jo’s blog post! From there, we went to the Osaka Castle. This castle has a rich history and a beautiful view. Originally the center and symbol of a unified country, the Osaka Castle has been destroyed and rebuilt or remodeled four times since its construction in the sixteenth century.

Although the castle alone is definitely impressive, the surrounding garden area and double moat that guards it was equally as interesting to me. Six hundred cherry trees line the grounds and I can only imagine how beautiful they must have been just a few weeks ago. We were able to spend about an hour at the castle, giving us just enough time to climb eight (EIGHT!) flights of stairs and experience the view from the top, check out some of the museum, and explore the shops in the nearby buildings.

From the short time we had in this place, I know it is somewhere I would love to return to. I can’t wait for more wonderful opportunities to explore the beauty of this country as we enter our last week of tour!