A Traveler’s Guide to Japan’s Kansai Region
By JOYCE TSE
RAFU STAFF WRITER
Monday, Sept. 10, 2007

The wonders of Japan come alive during a trip rich in cultural experiences and world-class cuisine.

Photos by JOYCE TSE/Rafu Shimpo
A magnificent stone torii gate frames the tourist-filled entrance to Shitennoji Temple in
Osaka. Built 1,400 years ago by Prince Shotoku Taishi, it is said to be the oldest temple
in Japan.

Wagashi (Japanese sweets) made from
sweetened white bean paste are both
delicious and aesthetically pleasing.

Eye-catching signs and displays in Osaka’s Dotombori district draw
increasing numbers of visitors to one-of-a-kind shops and eateries.

Part one of a two-part series.

OSAKA.—There’s a magnificent twinkle to the Osaka cityscape once the sun goes down. Luminous neon lights advertise the latest in mobile phone technology, pachinko parlors and hole-in-the-wall ramen joints. But it’s the classical and cultural elements of Japan that are this country’s most valuable treasures.

In July, I participated in a tour organized by the Kansai Region Promotion Committee 2007 and the Japan National Tourist Organization Los Angeles. For seven days, we visited some of the Kansai region’s most notable sites, which included historic castles, ancient temples and verdant gardens spanning from Wakayama to Himeji.

The sightseeing bonanza began with a trip to Osaka Castle, where signs of a turbulent past are all but a memory, save for telling displays of hand-painted folding screens depicting wars or the authentic armor and helmets pockmarked and torn by bullets and arrows showcased in glass cases.

Originally the site of a high-ranking monk’s residence in 1496 before becoming a large temple, Osaka Castle first came into being in the 1600s as part of a national unification effort. The castle as it stands today was reconstructed in 1931, thanks to public efforts to preserve this historic site, which now houses a museum featuring regularly updated exhibits. An eighth floor observation deck open to the public offers a breathtaking panoramic view of Osaka city, while visitors paying 300 yen ($3) can have their picture taken wearing body armor.

Osaka Castle (www.osakacastle.net/english) is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except Dec. 28 through Jan. 1.

A short distance away, we found ourselves at Shitennoji Temple, built 1,400 years ago by Prince Shotoku Taishi. As Japan’s oldest temple, Shitennoji is structured so that a pagoda, image hall and lecture hall stretch along the same axis from north to south, interconnected by long corridors. Where a stone torii gate now stands, separating the temple from old town Osaka, was once Uemachi Plateau, a peninsula that jutted out into Osaka Bay.

The Garden of Gokuraku-Jodo, Shitennoji Temple’s main garden, is a veritable heaven-on-earth, featuring a beautiful Koi pond brimming with budding lotus leaves, waterfalls and four dainty tearooms where traditional tea ceremonies are performed. It feels so far removed from the rest of the world that its difficult to believe that a bustling city exists just beyond the safe confines of this peaceful garden.

For more information about Shintennoji Temple or the temple gardens, visit www.shitennoji.or.jp or call (066) 771-0066.

A visit to Osaka wouldn’t be complete without taking time to experience bunraku, a narrative form of puppetry with origins dating back to the 17th century, at The National Bunraku Theatre of Japan. Bunraku, designated a World Intangible Heritage by UNESCO in 2003, incorporates master puppetry with narrative recitation and shamisen music. Ornate costumes and beautiful backdrops define this artistic experience that is unlike any other.

Child-sized puppets are brought to life by three puppeteers each, and the skill it takes to create each hand-made doll can be appreciated as the puppets dance fluidly across the stage. Like a Shakespearean play however, even those who speak modern Japanese may have difficulty understanding the dated dialect of Japanese used in the bard’s recitations.

The National Bunraku Theatre (www2.ntj.jac.go.jp/unesco/bunraku/
en/) is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The theatre’s downstairs exhibition room is free and open to the public. Call (066) 212-2531.

Osaka, which hosted the 11th International Association of Athletics
Federations (IAAF) World Championship in Athletics Aug. 25 through Sept. 2, is a place that is rich in beauty and culture. For a bird’s-eye view, the Floating Garden Observatory atop the 40-story Umeda Sky Building (www.
skybldg.co.jp) affords a 360 degree view of the Osaka cityscape day and night. But those wanting to get down and dirty with local flavor, should take a trip to Shinsekai, a bustling downtown district with no shortage of restaurants, theatres and small shops.

Another possibility for a taste of local culture is the Dotombori Gokuraku shopping street in the Minami area near the Dotombori Canal, made famous when Hanshin Tigers fans celebrated their team’s victory over the Tokyo Giants at the Japanese World Series in 2003 by jumping into the canal’s muddy waters.

About a 30 minute drive away from Osaka is the city of Sakai, home to Nintoku-ryo tumulus, one of 48 burial mounds in the area, and the Sakai City
Museum.

It’s difficult to express the magnitude of the size of the burial mound belonging to Japan’s 16th emperor, Nintoku. Built sometime in the 5th century, Emperor Nintoku’s tomb is, by comparison, one of the world’s three largest burial mounds alongside the Pyramids of Egypt and the Tomb of Qin.

Unfortunately, unless you are flying overhead in a helicopter, the only way to truly appreciate the key-shaped plot surrounded by two large moats is by viewing aerial photographs inside Sakai City Museum, as no one is allowed to venture into the tomb out of a profound respect for the dead. That is why to this day, an air of mystery shrouds this and other burial mounds in the area: None has ever been opened for viewing.

To learn more about the Nintoku-ryo Tumulus or to see artifacts such as pottery, firearms or figurines dating from the primitive and ancient ages to the modern ages, visit Sakai City Museum, open 9:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. daily, except Mondays and Dec. 29 through Jan. 5.

For more information, www.city.sakai. osaka.jp/kofun_en/3d/vrml_nin.html or call (072) 245-6201.

Before leaving Sakai, I had the chance to make wagashi (Japanese sweets) with expert Kozo Noma, who owns wagashi shop, Maruichi, in the city. With colored and sweetened white bean paste, Noma demonstrated how to make two styles of the dense, but delectable traditional treat: a red bean-filled
hirosawa one with a swirl imprinted on the green and white hued surface and an ajisai (hydrangea flower) one with pink, purple, white and turquoise colored white-bean shavings skillfully melded together and topped with clear kanten (gelatin) representing fresh morning dew. The results were delightful with matcha.

Wakayama city, south of Osaka, sits at the mouth of the Kinokawa River.
One of the most notable landmarks here is Wakayama Castle, built in 1585 at the top of Mt. Torafusu.

But here, another, less obvious place is as worthy of a mention on any trip itinerary. Kuroshio Fish Market, where you can find some of the freshest fish and watch tuna filleting demonstrations, is adjacent to amusement park Porto Europa in Wakayama Marina City, where dark, cobblestone alleyways bring elements of Europe to life.

If you’ve ever wanted to see a full-sized tuna before it becomes a delicious slice of maguro sashimi or an expensive piece of toro, that fatty and most-prized piece from the belly of the fish, then stop by Kuroshio Fish Market, located just 70 minutes by car from Osaka.

Nowhere else in the world can you find a fish market where the normally odoriferous stench is so subtle or the appearance inside is so clean. Individual shops within the market sell fresh fish, octopus, clams and more. And outside, a vendor watches over mouth-watering chikuwa (fish cake) rotating over burners. For some people, the market, with its indoor and outdoor seating areas, is also the perfect place to stop in for a bite to eat before buying ingredients for that night’s dinner.

On full bellies, we made our way to Toshogu Shrine, built by Yorinobu Tokugawa, the first lord of the Kishu Tokugawa domain, in 1621 to house the spirit of his father, Ieyasu Tokugawa. Before reaching the shrine’s main gate, one must ascend a stone staircase of 108 steps, called samuraizaka (Samurai Hill). It is from the red lacquered main gate at the end of this steep climb that you will also find a stunning view of Wakayama Bay.

Original painted carvings of phoenixes, dragons, cranes, elephants and more continue to adorn the exterior of the cherished temple, which is repainted every 30 to 50 years to restore faded colors to their original splendor. It is said that famous sculptor Jingoro Hidari carved these intricate images summoning long life and peace to the temple, which, like other temples around Japan, is held together only by interlocking beams and not nails.

Toshogu Shrine is open year round from sunrise to sunset. For more information, call (073) 444-0808.
To be continued in Saturday’s
Rafu Shimpo.