Not content with just taking pictures of Hirohiko Araki’s stained glass work at Osaka Station, I took time out from my business trip to wander around Osaka City for a bit with my LUMIX GF10 in hand.
In conclusion, I really wished I had not walked around in such hot weather, but apart from these regrets, I was able to take a few good shots, so I thought I would just fill in the blanks for my blog post.
First of all, here is a picture that is of no importance to those who are not interested in it.
Manpukuji Temple in Tennoji Ward, Osaka City. As a Shinsengumi freak, I finally made it to this place that I should have visited at least once.
The Shinsengumi were active (or infamous?) in the last days of the Tokugawa Shogunate. They were based in Kyoto, but sometimes worked in Osaka to protect the 14th Tokugawa Shogun Iemochi and 15th Shogun Yoshinobu when they entered Osaka Castle. It is said that Mampukuji Temple served as a post in Osaka at that time.
It is quite a magnificent temple, and in front of the temple gate, it was clearly marked as the site of the Shinsengumi Osaka Traveling Camp.
A short walk from Manpukuji Temple is the Kuromon Market, called Kitchen of Naniwa(Old Osaka).
I think it is a good spot to take a walk and enjoy taking pictures, but Naniwa’s Kitchen has recently turned into a fast food market for foreign tourists, and the storefronts are filled with skewers, hand rolls, cups, and other stand-up food items.
In my opinion, it looked unsanitary and dirty to me, and despite the bustle of the market, I was not very interested in it, so I could hardly take any pictures.
What other photos could I have taken?
Ah, here it is. I happened to be in the Kyobashi area near evening, and the rays of light were getting emotional.
I thought I had a few more shots, but that’s about all I got for my Osaka wanderings.
Well, that’s OK.
