Saturday, February 21, 2015

Tokyo Vege Food Festa

It was rainy and dreary, but we ventured out for the Vege Food Festa. My friend and I were ready to stuff ourselves! The dude and some of our other friends had a more reasonable approach to sampling the food at the festival. Our group ended up buying pizza with soy cheese, ramen, sushi, channa masala and puffy fried bread, and lots of baked goods (mostly breads and muffins). There were several animal welfare groups at the festival too. My favorite was Niigata no kill shelter.
Tokyo Vege Food Festa 2014Tokyo Vege Food Festa 2014 - so many muffins everywhere, but no cupcakes!Tokyo Vege Food Festa 2014Tokyo Vege Food Festa 2014Tokyo Vege Food Festa 2014 - vegan sushi!Tokyo Vege Food Festa 2014 - vegan pizza!

Friday, February 20, 2015

Osaka - other sights

There was an ice-skating rink at the Osaka station.
Osaka station has an ice rink.


We met with some animal rescue folks for dinner at a buffet near the station.
Buffet on 17th floor of a building near Osaka Station


Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Osaka - History Museum

After visiting the castle and having lunch, we went to the history museum. The museum had lots of large displays, which was quite different from most of the museums we've visited so far. It was fun to collect stamps throughout the museum, and to play in the archaeology interactive exhibit.
Osaka History MuseumOsaka History MuseumOsaka History MuseumOsaka History MuseumOsaka History MuseumOsaka History Museum

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Osaka - Green Cafe

We stopped at Green Cafe for lunch. The owner was so lovely, he stopped to talk with us. My friend and I ordered pizza with cashew cheese, and the dude ordered a veggie burger. I ordered a pumpkin pie and soy ice cream for dessert, but my friend's lemon cheesecake was slightly better.
Vegan pizza with cashew cheese at Green Earth in OsakaPumpkin hand pie and ice cream at Green cafe in OsakaVegan burger at Green Cafe in OsakaLemon tofu vegan cheesecake at Green Cafe in Osaka

Monday, February 16, 2015

Osaka - Osaka Castle, part 3

The museum collection had lots of interesting artifacts. We saw several types of armors, painted screens, and models of battles.
Osaka CastleOsaka CastleOsaka CastleOsaka CastleOsaka Castle

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Osaka - Osaka Castle, part 2

The inside of the castle is essentially a museum. There were famous battles over the castle. We went up to the observatory deck and worked our way downstairs to view the museum's collection.
Osaka Castle!!!Osaka Castle - here we are!Osaka Castle - view from the top!Osaka Castle - a battle scene with miniature figuresOsaka Castle - a battle scene with miniature figures

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Osaka - Osaka Castle

A must-see sight in Osaka is the Osaka Castle. We walked around the park before heading over to the castle area. There are several museums nearby, perfect for an afternoon. The shrine in the third photo is for a place where a monk hung his robe, and the tree stump photo is where the famous tree used to be.
Osaka - Osaka Castle and nearby museumsPark before Osaka CastleOsaka Castle - shrine for a Buddhist guy that hung his robe on a tree near this areaOsaka Castle - the stump of that tree is all that remainsOsaka Castle - description of that shrine

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Osaka - Shitennoji Temple

When my friend visited us over Thanksgiving, we went to Kyoto and Osaka. We stayed in a hostel, which was quite the experience. My friend has stayed in hostels while traveling before, but the dude and I were rather surprised. I guess I should have known by how cheap it was, even though it was listed on hotels(dot)com. Our first stop in Osaka was Shitennoji Temple.
Osaka - Shitennoji TempleWe found it! Shitennoji Temple is one of the oldest temples in Japan.Osaka - Shitennoji TempleOsaka - Shitennoji TempleOsaka - Shitennoji TempleOsaka - Shitennoji Temple