Travelogue: Japan (part 3) - Osaka

Next we headed off to Osaka!  More modern that Kyoto, Osaka is still full of plenty of interesting things to see.  We started with a visit to Osaka Castle.

And the accompanying gift shop!

Even Japanese mannequins are hilarious....  ^_^

After that we stopped for some black sesame ice cream (which was actually delicious) and then took a cruise down the river to the Osaka Museum of Oriental Ceramics.  

Museum of Oriental Ceramics

On the little islet in the middle of the river, we got some beautiful views of downtown Osaka.

There were lots of beautiful things in the museum as well:

 

There were a lot of Korean ceramics, like these

After the museum and the castle, we left old Osaka and headed straight into the heart of new Osaka: a district called Namba, full of sumos, giant crabs, stylish French pastries, underground jazz bars, smelly 6th floor basements, bizarre lights, candy shops that sell underwear, and giant hands threatening to crush you if you don't come in and eat their sushi.  

Kinky and cryptic signs abound

And the shop that sells these delightful little candies...

...also sells these.  Naturally.

We stopped to eat at this lovely establishment, which had giant pictures of sumo wrestlers all over the walls, and where you could order appetizer-sized portions of numerous fried foods.  

Followed by a stop at the Alcyon Cafe where we feasted on French pastries and cakes.  ^_^

My teapot also came with a hat, so we took the liberty of dressing him up a bit.  

As night was falling, we took a walk down the canal. 

Is it just me, or does penguin look a little scared here?

We then came across this interesting little sign, which led us to what turned out to be the most bizarre part of our whole trip.  

As it turned out, the "Django Action Movie Bar" was basically some guy's tiny basement room on the 6th floor of the building.  I call it a basement cause it looked (and smelled) like a basement.  The kind that 30-year-old guys who still live with their mother tend to inhabit.  This one happened to be covered in old movie posters.  The chubby, 30-ish-year-old guy with glasses seemed to be dozing off behind the bar until we walked in.  Paul and I took one look around and said, "Why don't we go somewhere else?" but Elise said, "I want to see what happens."  So we took a seat.  He poured us some cheap beer and tasteless sake, and we waited while we watched him shuffle through piles of DVD's, apparently looking for something in English that we could watch.  He finally retrieved an old boot-leg copy of an episode of Charlie's Angels, from the '70's, and we actually watched it.  It was a mystery involving a powder-puff football tournament with overt feminist themes.  Then we paid him for the drinks and left.  We later concluded that he just sits up there all day drinking and watching movies, and occasionally someone comes up and pays to drink and watch movies with him.  Perhaps not such a bad idea, actually, for a reclusive, movie geek. 

Next we went down the street and underground to the Kent Cellar Bar, which was, ironically, a great deal airier (and less seedy) then our previous venue.  And we got treated to some live jazz as well!

Paul, looking posh with his lady drink

Some people had advised me against going to Osaka cause they said it was just a party place.  Though I'm sure it is great for partying, I am so glad I went just to see and feel all the fantastic Japaneseness of it.  It's not like any other place I've ever been, not even Tokyo.  So I would just like to say,

Thank you for a wonderful time, Osaka!

I'm sure we'll see you again.