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Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Osaka Castle Moat

Osaka Castle Moat大阪城の近く

Osaka Castle is the great historical attraction in Japan's second city.

Aside from the geographical layout of the city - canals, port, hills, etc. - little remains of pre-War Osaka.

(A friend who was born and raised in Osaka, married a US Serviceman in the early 1950s, and spent 50 years in the US, upon returning in the late 1990s said the only familiar aspects of the city were the street names and dialect.)

The Castle, however, miraculously survived US Air Force raids of March 13th and 14th, 1945. (It also survived several later raids, in June and August, as well.)

The rest of the city was flattened when 274 B29 bombers dropped napalm - incendiary - bombs on a wooden and paper city.

Today Osaka Castle is beacon of sorts, ensconced in a large relaxed green park, surrounded by buildings, buildings, buildings.

The image of the castle is visible in the reflection of the building pictured above right.

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