# Day 15 - Winds of change ## Lion's den We both woke up this morning a little sluggish from our greasy feast the night before, but since rain was coming down outside, we felt good about deciding to take things easier for the day. We sat down for breakfast at the hotel buffet, and then made the short walk down to the Dotonbori Canal to purchase cruise tickets for the evening. We then made our way to Namba Yasaka shrine, whose most prominent and unique feature is a 12 meter (39 ft) tall, vicious looking lion’s head. The lion is meant to devour evil spirits causing trouble for visitors, and promote success in business or academics. ![[day 15 - 1.jpg]] ![[day 15 - 2.jpg]] ## The OG Our next stop brought us away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Osaka to the sleepy area of Sumiyoshi-Taisha. Founded nearly 2,000 years ago, Sumiyoshi-Taisha is one of Japan’s oldest shrines. As it was built before the introduction of Buddhism to Japan, it is one of only a few remaining examples of architecture that are considered purely Japanese. The style, though it shares many similarities with other shrines we’ve visited, is noticeably simpler, and characterized by straight roofs (rather than curved) and forked finials. The shrine, dedicated to the gods of the sea to protect Osaka Port, houses many notable elements including a beautiful and incredibly steep footbridge, two cat statues that are meant to provide luck in business, and a stunning sacred camphor tree that’s over 1000 years old. We couldn’t leave without making an offering at Omoto-sha, a small shrine where visitors can receive a divine blessing for matrimonial happiness. ![[day 15 - 3.jpg]] ![[day 15 - 4.jpg]] ![[day 15 - 5.jpg]] ![[day 15 - 6.jpg]] ![[day 15 - 7.jpg]] ![[day 15 - 8.jpg]] ![[day 15 - 9.jpg]] ![[day 15 - 10.jpg]] ![[day 15 - 11.jpg]] ## Osaka by air After a morning of religious antiquities, it was time to swing hard in the opposite direction with a visit to the Umeda Sky Building. At 568ft/173m tall, it is actually two towers connected by an observatory, which itself is connected at either end by two escalators “floating” way above the city streets. Visitors can go all the way up to the 39th floor where there is a small museum below and the circular open-air observatory above. The wind on this day was POWERFUL to say the least, with gusts so strong that all it took for us to walk was to lift our feet and let the wind carry our legs forward. Needless to say, the building was swaying heavily up at the top, and the effect was dizzying. The observatory rewards you with an unbeatable view of the city, but after completing the full loop, we were ready to be back on solid ground. ![[day 15 - 12.jpg]] ![[day 15 - 13.jpg]] ![[day 15 - 14.jpg]] ## Osaka by sea In the evening we returned to Dotonbori for our cruise. The Dotonbori Canal is home to Osaka’s premiere entertainment district, where the energy is as vibrant as the neon signs. We took a twenty minute cruise that gave us the ultimate view of Osaka’s bright lights, including landmarks such as the famed “Glico Man” who has been running his way to victory there since 1935. ![[day 15 - 15.jpg]] ![[day 15 - 16.jpg]] ![[day 15 - 17.jpg]] ![[day 15 - 18.jpg]] ![[day 15 - 19.jpg]] For dinner Sophia insisted we both venture out separately so that Manu could eat at a traditional izakaya (Japanese equivalent of a tapas bar or pub; typically not vegan friendly), but after Manu walked past several nearby options and noticed that they all had smokers inside, he decided the vegan restaurant Sophia was trying called Paprika Shokudo sounded more appealing. Our dinner had several highlights including some exceptional potato salad with vegan bacon bits, a yummy veggie stir fry, and super flavorful vanilla ice cream that we both wished we had more of. The restaurant also had a small shop, which allowed Sophia to pick out some vegan snacks for our cycling trip just two days away!