Date

2022-12-14, Wednesday

Distance

27.35 km biked (3540.84 km in total)

Our visit to Osaka Castle left me with mixed feelings. The towering keep rising over the stone ramparts still looked every bit the part of a feudal stronghold, yet stepping inside was a different story: the interior had been thoroughly modernised, with elevators and escalators shuttling visitors floor to floor. It felt far more like a museum than a fortress; gone were the medieval traces I had hoped to see.

The original fortress built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the late 16th century was destroyed, then later rebuilt and altered by Tokugawa Ieyasu, only to be destroyed yet again through war and fire. In a sense, Osaka Castle has always been destined to be remade, reimagined, and reinvented — a place of glory and tragedy in equal measure. Perhaps that constant reinvention is part of its allure, making it immensely popular amongst visitors — especially Western visitors who seemed to flock here in droves. To accommodate them, the entire exhibition was presented with full English translations, making this one of the rare historical sites in Japan where we could easily follow along.

Panels, displays, and animations traced its turbulent history, from its original construction to its later reconstructions. What struck me most was a miniature reproduction of a battle painting: Sanada’s troops clashing with Matsudaira’s forces. Each tiny figure was crafted with such vivid detail that the whole diorama seemed to breathe — a frozen moment of chaos brought to life.

By the time we wrapped up our castle visit, it was past 4 pm, and the sun had already set. We biked south toward the Nanko terminal, ready to board our overnight sailing to Shinmoji Port in northern Kyushu. There are two sailings a day, and we chose the evening departure — 7:50 pm, arriving the next morning at 8:30 am.

The wait at the terminal in the dark was long and cold — nearly an hour of standing in the biting harbour wind before the gates finally opened. But the ferry itself more than made up for it. Larger and more imposing than the one we had taken between Hokkaido and Aomori, this Meimon Taiyo Ferry felt like a floating hotel. Cars and containers filled two vast decks while we — the only two cyclists on board — were brought to the side to secure our bikes on the floor. The crew instructed us to lay our bikes flat, strap them in place, and carry only what we needed upstairs.

Upstairs, the ship revealed its comforts: there was a restaurant, an observation lounge, even a large public bathhouse (to my surprise!) — with all the expected facilities, neatly kept and ready for weary travellers who could soak in hot water while drifting across the Seto Inland Sea, it was a reminder of just how much comfort can be built into even the most utilitarian journey.

Free Wi-Fi kept us connected and we settled into a shared room with 12 bunk beds. Along the way, the ferry passed under three iconic bridges. I managed to glimpse the brilliantly lit Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, but sleep claimed me soon after. Somewhere between Osaka and Kyushu, I felt the journey shifting into its next chapter.

The full take — 30 more photographs from this day