Osaka and Jiri

Osaka was a nice place to go to because it fixed my perceptions of a clean futuristic japanese society. First of all, the place was dirty but not overly so. Apparently, it is one of the dirtiest cities in Japan. More in comparison to the sanitized existence of Yokohama. We went through a little mall which is really a covered street and saw little 99 yen stores (dollar store equivalents). That really was a bit of a shock to me but Maria loved it because she said it was a slice of real life. Osaka itself is pretty industrial with lots of tall buildings but not a whole lot of old ones around. There was a castle which is surrounded by a moat and is aesthetically appealing although it is a concrete replica of the original. We ate noodles with strange meats in the little noodle houses and quite enjoyed it although the rumblings of the stomachs can still be felt the next day.