Travels 128: Journeying Osaka Castle

In 2009, I was invited to Chair one Academic Session of the Asian Conference of Education in Osaka, Japan and I was also a research paper presenter at the conference. On the sidelines of the conference, I took a day out to do sightseeing in the lovely city of Osaka.

It was November so the air was cold ready for the winter in Osaka. They told me that Osaka is loveliest when you are there on winter as you will feel the breeze and the snow, just like any places in the world that has winter. Above all else, I went to Osaka Castle, not once but twice!

My first visit was with two Japanese friends who had been so generous in showing me around museums and castles, foremost of it was Osaka Castle. Tatei Nobuhito and his friend accompanied me to the castle and it is one sunny day before the conference starts that we went to the castle grounds. Tatei is one among many travel guide volunteers around Osaka.

My second visit was with my Swiss friend Cornel Graf. We both explored Osaka Castle earnestly and we took fancy dressing up as Samurai warriors. I would love to wear the samurai hat which Coco wore but it does not fit me well so I settled for a much lesser version.

In doing so, when we arrived at the 2nd floor landing of the Osaka Castle, there, a friendly staff greeted us and asked us if we wanted our photos taken dressing up as Samurai warriors for a minimal fee of 30 Yen. We took it and then off we go, history made! Swiss and Pinoy samurai jacks!

Journeying Osaka Castle is like travelling into a time warp. You will see how impressive the wooden beams and the castle structure as it is, although I have observed on my first visit that the Castle administration, installed a glass elevator for use by visitors to the castle. That, I think has not blended well into the entire Castle structure. But, I love the well manicured castle grounds complete with floral designs.

Travelling to Japan and especially to Osaka can bring you all the rich cultural diversity and understanding of how Japan is now and in their glorious past. The lives of the samurai and the castle, much more like Journeying Osaka Castle is one experience that a visit to Osaka will ever taught us history’s lessons. Their lives and societies are so interconnected to the one true figure and that person is the revered Emperor who sits on the Chrysanthemum throne for centuries now.

Travel 117: Osaka on my Mind

In 2009, I was honoured to be the Chair of the Academic Session on Education during the 1st Asian Conference on Education which was held at the famous Ramada Hotel, in downtown Osaka. It was breezy October and I loved it there. I loved the weather, the people and few Japanese friends I came to take in as my brothers. My trip to Osaka, Japan is one that sends me the strong affiliation to being an Asian and a growing Filipino scholar, both in education and in Foreign Service and foreign policy.

While I was there, I knew Tatei, an Engineering student from Kyoto. He and his friend picked me up at my hotel, Hotel Tai-Yo and we went off sightseeing, a day before my conference starts. I respected both of them so much because while they were university students, they took time out to accompany me around famous sites in Osaka and they taught me how to eat my first Japanese food, walk down the alleyways, took the trains and subways, went to museums and the first stop of the day, the Osaka Castle.

While on the conference, I met this lovely kimono girl whom I admired so much for her friendship and generosity. She is, like Tatei, a university student studying in Osaka. She went to Ramada Hotel because it is the wedding of her friend. She wore her intricately designed kimono and her smiles have captured most of the delegates of the conference including me. I said, my trip to Japan is complete now because I met a girl who wore a Kimono.

While in Osaka, I made friendships with two Swiss backpackers Cornel and Diego and we spent a day touring Osaka. Our friendship lasts even until today. One thing they are fond about is that they are carefree and loves disco parties, of which I too, also enjoy. We went to to Himeji Castle, considered to be the winter castle of Japanese Imperial family. It is the only castle in Japan that is not destroyed by both natural calamity and war. It’s a perfect show of grace and beauty, architecture and engineering. I saw Himeji Castle while in the Philippines through the TV program paid for by JICA and is played in government TV NBN. It was a sight to behold.

My Japan experience is one that I will forever keep in my heart. It is one of those few foreign trips that I made as a scholar and researcher which enhances my global perspective. Now that my Japan is in devastation after an 8.9 earthquake and a tsunami, I feel them and their pains. I am with them and will do everything I can to be able to inspire them and help them.

Japan is the wonderful country I had been and will always be in my heart.

Travel 109: The Last Samurai

When I and my Swiss friend, Cornel Graf went to check on the Osaka Castle, we were treated to a “dressing-up-like-a-samurai” and had our photo taken inside the castle. It was the fun thing to do while you visited Osaka, Japan. We never had this one before when we stopped by a museum nearby so it was all we could do, take more acts and there it was – memory we both enjoy to relive.

At first, we were asked to select the fancy hats. I liked what Cornel wore but it was too big for me so settled for something like I had. It turned out well enough for the both of us though.

And the swords are just as cool and awesome.

Just for a minimal pay, you got to don on this Samurai get up, a sword and a good memory to keep a lifetime.