Weekend Part II: What I Like About You

“What I Like About You”

Why not an eighties song theme for a blog post or two!?

Things I like about Japan were emphasized on my Sunday trip into The city of Osaka.

• taking the bus is a cool experience … You get on in the middle of the bus and pay as you leave

 

My local Bus Stop. see the cartoon character?

 

• Each town has something they are famous for and its cartoonized and displayed everywhere (my town is famous for these cool Terra Cotta like ruins and soldiers)

 

Park Map where the Terra Cotta soldier and buildings are. Important Historic Site

  

Terra Cotta display

  

Terra Cotta city

  

Terra Cotta Soldiers

  

terra cotta workhorses

 

• The trains go everywhere and are frequent, clean, efficient, on time and safe 

 

on a downtown train

 

• A women’s only section on the train. Interesting!

 

Womens Only Car… most platforms had a waiting area that noted where to wait for the womens only car

  

Women only

 

• People queue up orderly and at the trains the electronic display boards show where to meet for what train

 

Waiting for the train you line up

  

diamond train arrives different time than circle

 

• It’s orderly so you even are shown what side of the staircase to walk up or down

 

Arrows indicate which side you should go up or down the stairs. Colour coordinated

 

• There are funky motorbike or scooters everywhere and you can even use a special lock up place dedicated just for motorized two wheeled vehicles (no bicycles allowed the sign says)

 

Motor bike lock up

 

• So much creativity and there is artwork everywhere

 

I like this mural. Climbed over a median to take the unobstructed photo

 

• Fun architecture

 

Round building in Osaka

 

• Cool streets and alleys make me feel like I am on a movie set

 

Namba area of Osaka is the party location

 

• You can walk to happiness. Haha. But really I remember when I first saw stair ads at “Love the Earth” Expo in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture (like a province) and thought they were brilliant!

 

Marketing Stairway to Heaven

 

• Maccha ice cream. Mostly soft serve in Japan. And so creamy

 

Maccha “Soft cream”

 

• Beauty everywhere. This peacock is a department store entrance from a covered walkway (arcade)

 

Daimaru Entrance

 

• The English often gives you a laugh. This is a stores name/logo. What do you think it sells? I will put the answer at the bottom

 

what do you think this store sells???

 

• Again orderly -separate sides to go up and down in the subway system

 

Subway

 

• I got to watch the conductor and where we going as I took a local train home. 

 

view from the train. A great day.

 

• Amazingly picturesque homes. They are just so commonplace

 

beautiful home

 

• Trees!!!

 

love the trees here. … so different

 

• Cute + religion…  Only in Japan

 

Need to figure out what these are and why they are dressed

 

• Roofs. Have I mentioned I loved the tiled roofs?

 

beautiful roof

 

• Ohhhh. A blue tiled roof! Even more beautiful

 

Blue tiles! Love love love it!!!

 

• Green space and parks abound. This is up a mountain and is a huge hill slide. With rollers to help you slide. 

 

Hill slide. Pic for Hillcrest Playground committee

 

• Japanese maples. Like everything Japanese except the crows, they are miniature compared to Canadian things. (Why the crows are so huge I have no idea)

 

Japanese maple. So delicate

  

Japanese Maple in Beautiful Reds

 

• Tradition mixed in with modern conveniences

 

Signifies Japan to me

 

• I FOUND FENNEL!!!!!!

 

Fennel. Too bad its in somebody’s garden😞

 

• Cuteness. Gotta love it or you would groan a lot! This cute newspaper holder is an example of the Japanese love for cuteness

 

Happy to Get Your Newspaper

 

• Everything in its place. A built in garbage storage place. Clever

 

Built in Storage for garbage

 

• Cool technology such as this car wash. You drive in and it moves back and forth around you

 

Space Efficient Car Wash

 

• Clever two storey bike storage is everywhere (which means lots of bikes which means lots of people riding bikes!!!)

 

Double decker bike parking

  

Bike Parking instructions

 

Now back to the Authentic Fossil.   Selling handbags!  Made me chuckle

Shoes at the Authentic Fossil

Stay tuned for my next post!