Tanimachi 4-chome Station

Goose Feather at Namba Parks

7 May 20224 May 2022travelingpersecond

Leaving Osaka Castle via Uemachi-suji Avenue , I headed for Tanimachi 4-chome Station. Passing rows of red-maple trees planted on each side of road, then head to station entrance which was located at the feet of mighty Osaka Museum of History.

“Enjoy Eco Card” (another name for One Day Pass in Osaka) for 600 Yen made ut comfortable and easy to got in and out of station without having to hunt a ticket at automatic vending machine when you wanted to use the services of Osaka Metro. I just tap the card at ticket collecting gate and enjoyed traveling around Osaka as I please.

Taking Tanimachi Line and changing to Sennichimae Line at Tanimachi 9-chome Station, my journey stopped at Namba Station after traveling three kilometers and in fifteen minutes.

Arriving at the eighty-five year old Namba Station, I exited towards Namba City. Namba City is a very large shopping center in this area.

Stepping in corridor after corridor in Namba City made me interested to stop by and saw some of UNIQLO store’s winter jacket collections in a side of magnificent corridor. An interesting funny story happened to me again here. This was the result of my cheap winter jacket I was wearing. This second-hand winter jacket from Pasar Baru (a market in my town) sheded soft goose down from its inside when I tried on a UNIQLO winter jacket in dressing room. Suddenly, after I came out from fitting room, a female attendant took a broom and dustpan to clean that goose. She just smiled at me when was putting the winter jacket back into display case. Even though, I thought I wouldn’t be able to afford it, I was still determined to try it. How could I not think a thousand times to buy it if a winter jacket was priced at 12,900 Yen.

To forgot about that embarrassing incident, I hurriedly left the store and rushed to Namba Parks. This time I started to be amazed because the access to Namba Parks kept me on indoor pedestrian path, even though Namba City and Namba Parks were in different locations. The indoor corridor continued to south and was directly connected to Namba Parks.

After walking less than two hundred meters from the exit gate of Namba Station, I finally arrived at Namba Parks. The cool garden was designed at the top of shopping center with a contour made of steps like a terrace. I should have visited this park at night because there were a lot of lights installed which would definitely light up at night.

A side of Namba Parks, the park above the mall.

Namba Parks itself is also integrated with a shopping and office complex located in Naniwa City District. In the park, I only took thirty minutes because I wanted to visit Americamura soon to see the shopping and entertainment area from a different perspective.

It was already half past two in the afternoon, I started to leave Namba Parks via original route when I came to Namba Parks.

Tom Cruise and Osaka Castle

5 May 20224 May 2022travelingpersecond

You know this this “Handsome Role” right?…

The picture is a scene from the movie “The Last Samurai”, when Captain Nathan, played by Tom Cruise, honorably fights with the leader of Samurai, namely Katsumoto, played by veteran Japanese actor Ken Watanabe, against the soldiers of Emperor Meiji who are trained by American Army. The background of this war is “Modernization vs Feudalism”. Emperors glorified modernization and Samurai maintained tradition.

Those are just a few of many heartbreaking mosaics that made Japan’s history when it transformed from a conventional country to a modern one. One such mosaic is Boshin War, a civil war which left a mark of destruction and was recorded in this historical place which I visited.

Yups….This is Osakajo….People call it as Osaka Castle or Osaka Castle.

—-****—-

On 09:50 hours, I stepped on the platform of Tanimachi 4-chome Station, then exited through one of its gates where Osaka Museum of History and Hoenzaka Iseki proudly stood in station’s courtyard. My steps continued to be connected on Uemachi-suji Avenue with red maple tree decorations on both sides.

Its strong history made Osaka Castle be my first destination in the city with a nicknamed “Manchester From East”. I really didn’t want to delay and lose my first glance at king’s palace which is more than four centuries old. The distance is only six kilometers from Kaga Hotel where I stayed and the availability of Osaka Metro line to it made it so easy to access this destination.

Did you dare to introduceing yourself to her?

Not long in walking, I arrived at Osaka Castle, through Otemon Gate to be exact. Otemon Gate itself is on east side of palace, while on its west side is provided Aoyamon Gate. Like an ancient palace, this place is surrounded by a wide canal nearly a hundred meters long as a form of defense.

Passing a bridge, pedestrian path began to direct every tourist to enter a side of Otemon Gate. It began with a door made of two towering steel sheets. After that, plastered walls which made from fine andesite, some of which were left intact with a length and width of almost five meters.

Soon the second gate greeted. The gate with a size larger than the first one was nicknamed Osakajo Tamon-yagura which was composed of large, intact and sturdy wood. Through this second gate, tourists would automatically enter palace area which had an area of not less than six hectares.

In some fragments of its history, it’s told that this castle was destroyed by fire due to the Boshin War in 1868. Now the Boshin War itself has been illustrated by Tom Cruise in the preambule at the beginning of this article.

I arrived at southern courtyard, call it as Osaka Castle Park. This is where tourists gather and enjoy the elegance of castle made by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the leader of Japan’s Sengoku Period. I took time to take pictures with old samurai role in castle grounds. Even to got rid of loneliness, I often have fun posing behind a group of tourists who were taking pictures. Grinning horses, jumping, waving or whatever I did. Sometimes it made one of that group pointed at me while laughing after seeing their photos in their digital room. Seriously acute.

After an hour of enjoying Osaka Castle, I decided to sit down and enjoyed the Ikayaki which I bought from one of many food truck which was neatly lined up in east courtyard. A portion of Ikayaki was priced about 300 Yen. Ups, do you know Ikayaki?…. It was a large grilled squid seasoned with mirin (Japanese seasoning).

The original samurai armor is usually in black colour, right?.

Finishing in eating Ikayaki, or at exactly 10:30 am, I started to leave Osaka Castle area and planned to head to Naniwa City District.

Where would I step?………

Magazine, Osaka Metro and Osaka Castle

3 May 2022travelingpersecond

A quarter of an hour to nine….I left Kaga Hotel in Nishinari City District after leaving my backpack in reception area. I rushed to Dobutsuen-mae Station. But first, I had to stuff something into my stomach before arriving at station. Since midnight last night, when I arrived in Osaka, I haven’t eaten a bite.

I decided to look for the nearest convenience store. On the way to station, I found a FamilyMart on the edge of Saka-suji Avenue. I won’t be munching on onigiri again for breakfast. I’ve been bored since two days ago routinely chewing that food. Finally I chose a cup noodle and immediately took the queue in front of cashier. Waiting my turn, one by one, FamilyMart customers completed their payment. I only reflexively followed forward when the queue in front also advanced, but actually my eyes never looked ahead.

Cashier : “Hello”

I still didn’t budge.

Cashier: “Hello”

I still thought thar it was the turn of someone who queueing in front of me

Cashier: “Helloooo….Sir. You…..Sir”.

Me: “Oh it’s my turn, sorry” The cashier just smiled when he saw my face was red with embarrassment. Damn….She and the queue behind me were grinning in unison because they caught me staring at a corner of a shelf with many adult magazines neatly arranged. Luckily the cashier didn’t offer me to buy the magazine….I was embarrassed.

This kind of thing is common in Japan…..

After paying, I headed to a dispenser. Pour hot water into cup noodles and took a corner of that convenience store to eat it.

Cashier: “Helloooo Sir, eat outside, please!”

Ohhh….I was embarrassed, expelled out again, even though I was avoiding cold air outside. In the end, I still ate my cup noodles while standing in front of minimarket while chilling happily….My fate.

Moments later, I were eaten all my noodles until there was no gravy left. I continued to the north. Arriving at the intersection of Abiko-suji Avenue, I immediately headed underground through one of gates belonging to Dobutsuen-mae Station which is on the south bank of main road.

Me: “Hello, How can I get a One Day Pass, Sir”. I made sure not to buy it too long like what happened two days ago in Tokyo.

Security Officer: “Doko e ikitai desu ka?”, apparently this man couldn’t speak English.

Me: “Osaka Castle, Sir”.

Security Officer: “Hooooohhhh….”. He didn’t even know

Me: “Osakajo”.

That security officer then smiled nodding and ushered me through a corridor and then he pointed to an automatic vending machine.

“Arigatou Gozaimasu”, I told him. Even though if you are looking for a machine like this, I can too. Is the One Day Pass sold separately from the machine, that’s what I meant…..Hmmh.

Never mind, I started hitting that automatic vending machine button. I could smile with relief because this machine was not as complicated as the one in Tokyo. I put in a 1,000 Yen sheet, pressed the “ENGLISH” button, continued to the “CARD” button and finally I found the “ONE DAY PASS” button for 600 Yen.

That night was the first overseas New Year’s Eve for me. I purposely bought an One Day Pass because I was going home after midnight, after New Year’s Eve Countdown of course.

Now I was getting ready to take Osaka Metro. It was also my first time experiencing subways in Japan after having only tasted surface trains nine times in a row since my arrival in Tokyo.

I started at Midosuji Line and then changed to Tanimhaci Line at Tennoji Station. Drove north for five kilometers and within fifteen minutes, I finally arrived at Tanimachi 4-chome Station in Chuo City District.

I immediately exited through the exit gate where Osaka Museum of History building and the historical landmark Hoenzaka Iseki are located. From there, I continued along Uemachi-suji Avenue towards Osaka Castle which was only one kilometer away.

Hoenzaka iseki, 5th Century warehouse building in Japan.

I arrived at Otemon gate of Osaka Castle

Let’s exploring Osakajo…..