We are on our way, heading in the direction of Tokyo..1400 km to go!
Our first day of of heading out from the hotel for our tour along the coast to Tokyo is full of anticipation, especially as we are going to be riding in areas of Japan completely new to us. Having the good fortune of waking up to such a beautiful day adds to our excitement. It will take us much of the day to ride through Osaka as we head south to ultimately reach the Pacific Ocean which we will follow to Tokyo.
A young man offered to take our photo as we were leaving our hotel. The steady stream of people walking by on their way to work were very accommodating.
These little guys from a day care are out for a walk…cuteness overload. We find the hats fascinating. Children through their primary years all wear the same colour of hat for outings…different colours for different ages. Love the hats, especially when you see a school group out for a field trip and the first thing you see are the vibrant colour of the hats.
It took some time to make our way out of Osaka. It helps us that so many people ride bicycles which creates a workable relationship between cars and bikes. Imagine riding headlong into traffic on a one way road with several lanes of cars coming at you. We can’t imagine doing this anywhere else. When we can, we ride on the very wide sidewalks with pedestrians and bikes. Coming from Canada, it is hard to imagine that this would be tolerated…on the sidewalk or the road. Japanese people of all ages, from the elderly to young people to moms riding their “mama chariots” with kiddies on board share the space. It is a delicate balance and it works!
Feeling hungry and needing a break, we saw a park coming up on the map so we pulled in. We were blown away by this park which we had not known about.
Sumiyoshi Park is vast with beautiful flowers, huge green spaces filled with hundreds of people and families picnicking under the cherry blossoms. There are a cluster of 17 unique eateries each run by locals and Sumiyoshi Taisya Shrine. It is a historic shrine in Osaka, renowned for the blessings of safe voyages and transportation. The park covers several acres and it is Osaka’s oldest park. So many people live in apartments or small spaces in the city and these parks help to create a balance and sense of community. One fellow who has always lived in this area told us he has been coming here most of his life.
There were two of these lion statues at the entrance to the park.
Koban (Police) are scattered throughout the city with many of them filling the role of Community policing. This Koban is in the park. We like the image of the policeman interacting with a small child on the blue sign at the door.
This fellow spoke excellent English and had spent time in Vancouver. We enjoyed visiting with him. He told us this park has always been a part of his life.
As we were talking to him, the three of us couldn’t believe our eyes. Into this community park, the cultural element rose to new heights with these Turkmenistan visitors walking through in traditional dress. No longer were we the conspicuous visitors.
The young woman told us they are here for Expo 2025 in Osaka. She asked if we would agree to an interview, which we did.
The men appeared to be playing their instruments but they were just going through the motions. We think they didn’t want to disturb the locals, but it seemed to make them stand out even more.
The women treated us to a beautiful dance. What an unexpected moment in our day. We plan so much of our trips, but it is the gems we discover by accident, like the park and the Turkmenistan musicians and dancers, make travel so special.
The cherry blossoms are thinning out a bit, but it is still a beautiful sight. There is a name for when the blossoms fall (can’t remember what it is called), but it a very important time as well.
Several heron at the pond. Unlike heron at home who don’t like people bothering them. These birds are used to sharing the area and are unfazed by the crowds.
We have made it to our destination and have walked to a Conveyor Belt Sushi restaurant nearby. The place was jam packed with locals and we were the only gaigins (foreigners). No English on this menu or how to operate the The fellow at the next table helped us when we needed it. Arigato.
We liked the racing car that delivers your order. We had trouble with this as we are supposed to press a button to let it return. Once again, the man dining near us jumped up to help us.
