Osaka afternoon.

Walking from Shin Osaka to the hotel and then around the block, this hidden jewel of a guitar shop was closed when we saw it, but there were still images to be captured.

Someone loves collecting not only vintage instruments but also vintage rock'n'roll signage from 1950's 'merica.

Dr. Pepper, so misunderstood...

Gretsch guitar strings, Chet Atkins' signature style. Fingerpickin' good.

King Biscuit Time!

Above Elvis' boulevard, the chicken farmers' slogan.

Not sure what "2 Cycle Boogie-Woogie" was, but sounds cool enough.

Eddie Cochran in the Osaka skies. The boy just can't help it.

The Mai Angels hanging out in front of the famous Glico Man.

Dotonbori, Osaka: a mass of people, electric signs, giant food mascots, pachinko parlors, and department stores. Coney Island amplified by several degrees on the volume knob.

Our lunch spot.

Me & the Glico Man, candyman. He's been there for decades, a landmark for generations, proof that hanging around long enough can get you some respect, or at least some notoriety.

 Eh, brah, sellin' da beans!

And then there was this kid. He was still eating his cotton candy mountain when I walked back in the other direction.

Giant tako scaling the walls.

Help!

This man, why is he so feisty...

This must be the city where Godzilla dines out.

Pretty manhole covers, got to admit.

This little dog was waiting for its master to reappear from the recesses of a Dotonburi establishment, not so quietly, ignoring the attention of those who stopped to sympathize.

You can feel the unhappiness.

Quiet side street.

Tako (octopus) snacking.

H & M, just like in Paris, London, New York, etc. So many people.

Awaiting their fate.

Another Engrish. This one would work well for a New Age boutique store in Makawao.

From the side street coffeeshop we drank hot lemonade in.

Ho! bruddah! Da Osaka folks diggin' Hawai'i!

One of my mother's college friends' gifts to her: A box of "Prohibit: Pomme d'Amour" chocolates. You kind of get what they're going for. If Adam & Eve had chocolates...

Morning view from Washington Place Hotel, Osaka.

Osaka in the morning. A brief visit, but enough to get a little taste of the bustle.

For my mother, it was another fine day to reunite with old friends.

This was just a brief glimpse into the city of Osaka, but it was good to be here. You know who you are, Osaka friends...  ; )




Dotonburi, first impression. from Christopher Magee on Vimeo.

Inu on the street. from Christopher Magee on Vimeo.

IMG 3368 from Christopher Magee on Vimeo.

Leaving Nara.

A few images from this morning's short walk to the train station at Nara, on our way to Osaka.

This bit of Engrish is pretty, and makes total sense.

This one is a bit more wacky. The "Drink Drank" café could have added "Drunk" and I wouldn't have minded.

They make good smooties.

Cafés are popular. We've enjoyed several good breakfasts in super clean ones with reasonably-priced eggs, toast, and sausage dishes.

Not sure how it works, really, as the two ideas seem a bit contradictory at first blush, but here at the "Fast Relax Café" you can try to have your cake and eat it, too.

I've heard about places like this, where you can go in and pet a tethered owl while sipping a latté. Not really a fan of cooped up wildlife being pestered by humans, but an oddity worth noting.

At this romantic hairstylist's you can get a good parm.

Beautiful window arrangment of sumi ink brushes.

"Café of the Cry/Scream, Shout", past tense. In addition to Engrish, there's France-a-nese, or Japanaise.

Japan would be that much less interesting if someone corrected all these signs so they made sense to anglophones and francophones.

While screaming at the Café Crié, please enjoy a cup of happiness.

No toilet diving, please! This is not the proper approach to toilet use. The crazy things people do when you leave them alone in a tiny space to their own devices...

Deer's character: curious, patient, and generally law-abiding.

Being from Da Islands, this one struck a funny chord (maybe a half-diminished chord). "Moana Kapu" = Forbidden Ocean". Sort of an odd way to get people into your café, but...whatevahs, blah.

 It's also a place to throw darts. Even mo' frendly, yeah?

With its own shrine out front.

Brah, da japanee folks oney makin' any kine, sometimes.

Sage advice.

An' bustin' out da Mele Kalikimaka tunes in Nara Town, Kaulana. Geev 'em!