Osaka
Today we arrived in Osaka, Japan, the first of our 3 Japan stops on the Diamond Princess. Entering Osaka was a lesson in long lines. Everyone aboard ship whether visiting Osaka or remaining on the ship, had to leave and go through Immigration. They checked our papers and our backpacks. We were photographed, finger printed, scrutinized and basically made to feel like a suspect.
When it was over we went outside and met up with our Tour Guide, driver and high- dollar private van for a look at Nada, or deer park.
We were heading to the largest Buddhist Temple in the world. It was huge, for sure! Inside were several big Buddha’s and a couple of lesser Buddha’s. One, in fact, had lost his body and the only part of him on display was his big head. It appears that his wooden body had been badly burned many years ago and all they remained was his head. Kind of like that one movie….you know, the head floating down the river singing, “I ain’t got nobody”.
This huge building was of an amazing wooden structure. Huge wooden pillars and beams held up its massive roof. The pillars were made to look like trees about 2 feet in diameter and perhaps 20’ or 30’ tall (I don’t really know because I can’t see). Our Guide thought this particular Buddha was the largest one anywhere. He was carved from a large tree by a Buddha maker way back when.
The Temple itself was not the oldest but it was the largest. Some say it was about 600 years old. During that time, a samurai battle destroyed it…..twice.
About 1,200 European Deer roam the forested grounds as freely as squirrels. If one holds his hand up above the deer’s head and then bring it down a little and back up, the deer will seem to take a bow, then everyone laughs. People say the deer are showing respect or bowing down or something. The truth is, the deer probably thinks he or she is being given food. She looks up to see your hand coming down and immediately checks the ground for any dropped food, then back up at the hand, then down again. If the deer was to bend a knee, I could believe the respect theory.
So, the 1200 deer roaming the grounds are protected by Osaka laws and are not to be killed, eaten or injured. They cross busy roads at their own speed… much like the Fijians. sometimes it takes a while when they cross end to end one at a time.
We ate lunch in a little restaurant that served good, unpronouncable Japanese food. One was Japanese pizza that contained shrimp. It was very good. We had some of those Yakasobe noodles, know what I mean? There was also bbq chicken chunks and a dish of cold peas, like snow peas but with a non-edible shell. Anyway, lunch was very good.
Afterwards we had an hour to walk around, checking out the small shops and buying stuff. We found a pharmacy and bought some Salon Pas for our aches and pains and snacks not good for us, but always tasty.
We visited a former Japanese house. It was a typical house with a plain interior, small and meant for extended family to share. It was very interesting. Sitting on the floor around a small table for dinner may be nice, but my knees don’t bend that way anymore!
We returned to the ship and was early enough to meet up with our friend, Oki, a former exchange student of ours when we lived in Oregon. He lives in Tokyo but is in school in Osaka taking classes for his Master’s Degree. We told him we were on a tour but he said he wanted to see us if it was only for an hour.
We met him beneath the big Ferris-type wheel. It was so good to see Oki and the young man he has become. He was glad to see us, too, We plan to meet up with him again on our end destination of Tokyo. Oki will be our Guide that day. Looks like we might get to have dinner with him and meet his Mom. That will be fun!
Back on the ship where we ate dinner and then weighed anchor. I think it was 186 pounds.
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