What's this then? The second post in a week!? Yeah, I'm surprised too... don't get too used to it.

Anyways, I'm wrapping up my "weekend" here and gosh was I busy. Yesterday I headed over to Himeji (40 minutes away by Special Rapid train) and today I went into Osaka. The main purpose of both trips was to check out the castles in each city.

Japanese lesson for the day: "Jo", when attached to a place name, usually means castle (i.e. Hiroshima-jo, Himeji-jo, Osaka-jo.)

Himeji-jo is, perhaps, Japan's most famous castle.

Needing stones to build the foundation,
the lord of the castle put out a request to the people.
A woman donated her only mill-stone to the construction (seen above.)
After hearing the story of her noble deed, the collection of stones hastened.
Although many stones were collected from the people, some were stolen from various shrines, temples, and even a few stone coffins from local cemeteries.

From a distance the foundation looks to be made up of large stones alone.
Upon closer inspection the gaps between the larger stones are actually filled with smaller stones.

'Pan-o-ramic' view from the top of Himeji-jo.
Even today it remains the tallest structure in Himeji city.

They happened to be filming something in one of the courtyards.
With all that equipment (movie magic) it'll look just like it was made in a studio!
...wait, then why...

On the way back from Himeji I stopped took some pictures of the world's longest suspension bridge. The Akashi Kaikyo bridge is 1991 metes long at it's center span(833m longer than the Mackinac bridge) Turns out pictues don't do justice to the sheer size of this behemoth.

There was a bridge museum (which I skipped) and an... observatory(?) under the roadway of the bridge. Here for your bloodthirsy American viewing pleasure is me risking life and limb (again, the photo doesn't quite do justice to the 9 story drop to the water.)

Hey, look, another castle! This one's in Osaka. Pretty much right in the center of the downtown area. I didn't pay the 600 yen to go inside (I assume that it looks like the interior of both of the other castles I've toured.) Osaka-jo is cool in that it's got a two-tiered moat (one moat sits inside and above the other. Pictured is the second, higher, moat and the castle building.)

The Office of Silly Signs (Kobe Branch) brings you this.
Honestly, if is this "relaxation", I don't want to know what stress in Thailand is like.

... and some store names just wouldn't fly elswhere in the world...

Not pictued this week: the wicked sunburn I got walking around today. Yesterday was perfect, not too hot OR humid with some light cloud cover. Today was sunny, hot, and humid. (Yes, yes, should have worn a hat, blah, blah, 20-20 hindsight and all that.) Well, for the time being it's okay, but I'd better go find some aloevera before it really starts to itch.

I think that about covers it. Back to work tomorrow. Nose to the grindstone and all that.

Jaa Mata Ne.