Day 5- Osaka Castle and Shinshobashi

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Go to Osaka castle with Chris, it is not far from the central Osaka city but we need to catch a subway there. We get there rather late (about 2 pm) and spend some time wandering around the castle grounds, before going into the castle itself (costs about 500 yen). Inside there is an exhibition depicting samarai era weaponry, armour and history. It is very interesting but we dont have enough time to read all the plaques because Chris has to be back at 5 to ring his brother. We hurry through and get to the top layer, where we look out over osaka city. It is a pretty good view except its almost all blocked by fencing, probably to stop people jumping off. We walk out of the grounds through the park around Osaka castle, though some parts of it are kind of seedy and it seems to be full of homeless people, it is quite pretty really. A small part of it even has cherry blossoms still in bloom! (i had missed the cherry blossom season by a week or two).

We hurry back to the Umeda train station and get the train home but we arrive kind of late, about 630 pm and Chris was meant to ring his brother at 5, and he had been waiting all that time. So Chris runs out to meet his brother at his friends house while I leave a little later to meet up with Megan at Umeda again, and from there we intend on seeing Shinshobashi, the lights districts.

After some wandering from Namba me and megan take a quick look at an electronics store nearby before walking to Shinshobashi, luckily she has come prepared with a map so we find our way through the cluttered streets to the lights (one thing about Japan, you can walk for hours and still not be any closer to the part of the city you want to be in). The lights are just that..a bunch of high rise type buildings with flashing signs and many shops, the main attraction being the shopping arcade (of course) and the lights that reflect along the river Dinoba..something. Shinshobashi is also where the cool kids hang out, so there are many Japanese youth with crazy hair..clothes..standing around..

We also take a look at a 9 level or something shop devoted to fashion, make up, food, alcohol, electronics at fairly cheap prices. After ploughing our way through girls in high heeled boots I quite enjoy browsing the shop, but I dont think megan does much because we leave after having a quick look at each level.

On our way back we wander the main street lined with trees lit up with blue fairy lights, until Megan gets a call from her boyfriend telling us to hurry because otherwise we will miss the last train home. He meets us at Namba station and they shove me through the subway doors after giving me instructions on how to get to my train line from the subway. I get off at the right station fair enough, follow the signs as they said but end up at the JR line entrance..and was meant to meet Chris at the giant tv..the main meeting place at Umeda station. I wander back hoping to find it and even ask a security guard, EVEN drawing a little tv with people on it for him, but he simply says "hotel?". gah!. By this stage I am a little worried because I dont know how to use a phone even, and dont know what to do if I get stuck there, since I had relied on Chris all this time to talk in Japanese. After about 30 mins of wandering, and it about midnight I finally come across a familiar area and find the tv (I had been there at the start, simply on the level above). Chris sees me and runs over and we rush to make the last train (David already having left me to my fate long before). However I dont see the big deal really, it was only 12 and the last train left at 1225. We get on it on time and see (a drunk) David who casually avoids us. Nice. Later Chris and David argue about something stupid..I think it involved me. I guess free accommodation comes at a price huh.

Anyway I enjoyed my night with megan, I LOVED the lights district.

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