Kobe/Osaka, Japan

Took a ship excursion to Osaka today, about an hour’s drive from Kobe. It’s Japan’s third largest city with a population of about 2.8 million. We visited Shitennoji temple and Osaka Castle.

The temple is one of Japan's oldest and the first ever to be built by the state. It was founded in 593 by Prince Shotoku, who supported the introduction of Buddhism into Japan. Although the temple's buildings burned down several times throughout the centuries, they were always carefully reconstructed to reflect the original 6th century design. The temple interiors were wonderful but photographs aren’t permitted so I can’t share the beauty.

Our next stop, Osaka Castle, was built by Hideyoshi Toyotomi, known as the "Napoleon of Japan," starting in 1583. Since then, it’s served as the scene of various conflicts, and was burned down and rebuilt several times. The current castle keep was rebuilt in 1931.

Both sites were in park-like settings which made for a lovely day.Read more