Kyoto (Kobe), Japan

            Friday, 29 Mar 2019 – At 7:00 AM, we docked at Kobe, Japan.  We were booked on a 4-hour excursion, “Panoramic, Osaka,” starting at 8:45 AM, so we woke up to our alarms at 6:45 AM.  We enjoyed breakfast was as usual; then met in the Insignia Lounge at 8:30 AM for our excursion.   After leaving the ship, we were ushered through security, where we showed our passports and our bags and fanny packs were searched (unusual security, we thought).   We then boarded our bus.  Akira was our tour guide, but he said it was okay to call him by his nickname, Sunny.  Our driver was Esono.   While enjoying the one-hour scenic drive around the bay and through the urban landscape that connects Kobe and Osaka, Sunny told us a lot about the area.

Kyoto is best known in Japanese history for being the former Imperial capital of Japan for more than one thousand years, as well as a major part of the Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe metropolitan area.  It is the ninth-largest city in Japan, with a population of 1,468,980.  Kobe, with a population of 1.5 million, is the sixth-largest city in Japan and is located about 19 miles west of Osaka.  Osaka is the second largest metropolitan area in Japan and among the largest in the world with over 19 million inhabitants.

Osaka Castle Wall, Osaka

Sunny said that Kobe is famous for their steaks and sake.  In fact, the basketball player, Kobe Bryant, is named after the city.  Kobe’s father liked the steaks here so well, that he named his son after it!  Fast food here is sushi, which many locals enjoy as a quick lunch.  Because there had been a traffic accident, traffic was very slow.  Finally, we voted to disembark our bus at a park and walk the rest of the way.  Our destination, Osaka Castle, is an imposing fortress at the edge of the lush park with than 1,200 trees, the majority of which are cherry blossom and apricot trees.  The castle is one of Japan's most famous landmarks and played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century. 

Built in the late 16th century, the magnificent Osaka Castle consists of 13 structures that include gates, moats and gunpowder storehouses.  The nine-story donjon at its center is adorned with golden sea creature ornaments and is so distinctive that the government has designated the castle an Important Cultural Asset and the cherished symbol of Osaka.  According to legend, the stones for its massive stone wall were carried there from all over Japan to display loyalty to hegemon Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who built the castle.  (However, the Osaka Castle does not look like a typical “castle” of the European variety.)  We walked a very long way, took photos of the castle, and then walked back to the entrance of the park, where our bus awaited us.  We did a lot of walking today!

Osaka Castle

Our next stop was the Umeda Sky Building.  Completed in 1993, the twin-tower high rise made of steel and glass offers a stunning, 360-degree view of Osaka and beyond to Awaji Island.  We took an elevator up 40 floors; then boarded another elevator or walked to the observation deck.  Sally took the camera and walked around the circular walkway on the top of the building, while Jesse waited safely near the elevator.  Our return trip was delayed for several minutes, while Sunny searched for an elderly passenger who was barely able to walk.  We made it back to the ship in time for lunch.  At dinner, we sat near a couple from Vancouver Island and enjoyed good conversation.