Japan Trip Part Six: 大阪の下町 (Downtown Osaka)

The second weekend there, Nori’s kind and merry aunt came to take us to downtown Osaka. She laughed a lot and wore tinted glasses. We went to 'Amemura' (American Town), where there was graffiti art sprawled along a wall, rap music, and extremely narrow streets.







While in Amemura, I saw another black person for the second time. Nori’s aunt bought a shirt for me, but I stupidly misplaced it and left God-knows-where. Here are more photos of Osaka for your eyes to feast on:







We went to a famous crab restaurant, and had pricey dishes that all featured this tasty sea animal.




Later, near evening, we went to the Osaka history museum, then Osaka castle:





We caught this guy on the bench, with his noble lizard on guard. You could touch the cold-blooded animal without it attacking. Completely docile. I don't know what the guy was trying to do.



This building near Osaka castle was closed down. Perhaps it was a museum. I have an obsession with derelicts and abandoned buildings; I wanted to explore it. I'm sure it was illegal, though.



Sadly, the castle was closed for the day, but I got my hands on freshly-made Takoyaki (fried octopus dumpling). A friendly but rough-looking old man made the dumplings right in front of us. I liked the man’s voice – it was gravelly but amicable, like the voice of your favorite grandfather who might’ve smoked two packs of cigarettes a day in his youth. The man poured the batter into the indentions, then added the bits of octopi. Amazingly good food. I can here my stomach growling even now as I type these words.