Let's go on an adventure!

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That’s all, folks! Thanks for joining me on my Japan adventures

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We took a day trip to the very charming Arima Onsen town, where we enjoyed the museums, the cherry blossoms, and of course, the onsen.

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The Arima Toy Museum! So many automatons!

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The Arima Stamp Museum

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Osaka Castle, the castle grounds, and the view from the top.

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About a year ago, I learned of the existence of the Tower of the Sun, and I decided, right then and there, that I wanted to go to Japan and see her. And I did! The Tower of the Sun was designed by Tarō Okamoto for the 1970 Osaka Expo and is the symbol of Expo 70. The psychedelic "Tree of Life" interior has been (mostly) restored, and you can view it while climbing up the spiral staircase that runs along the inside of the tower. Pictures were prohibited on the upper floors, but I was able to snap a few from the bottom.

Here he is with his creation:

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The Cup Noodles Museum in Osaka, with Mr. Cup Noodles himself

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Osaka Aquarium.

Giant sharks! Giant crabs!

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One of the tallest Ferris wheels in the world!

It was scarier than I expected, to be honest. The compartments seemed a lot flimsier on the inside. Worth it for sunset views over Osaka?

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Namba Yasaka Shrine, Osaka

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Dotonbori, Osaka

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On to Osaka!

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Another Expo 70 relic!

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The Heijo Palace in Nara was the capital of Japan from 710 to 794. The original buildings were lost and the area turned into farmland. Train tracks still cut right through the middle of the complex! Archeological excavations began in the 50s, and the first gate was reconstructed in 1998. There's a very nice museum on the history of the palace and a public park for cherry blossom picnics.

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From high art to low, from Nara palace to the roadside attraction-esque Goldfish “Museum” in a nearby mall.

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Nara, Japan