The first place we visited after I arrived in Osaka was the Ôsaka-jô, the castle that towers over Ôsaka. Unfortunately we were yet again not able to visit the inside, because it was closed for visitors. Though it was rebuild using mainly concrete the outside is beautiful and I am curious what it looks like on the inside. The main tower is already the third version, after it was destroyed by fire and wars. The 1997 added elevator takes a bit from the traditional image but the view from the castle is beautiful.

The souvenir shop was crowded as always, but I found the perfect little addition for my desk. The little ninja is one of those dolls, that get up again no matter how hard you push. It is meant to be a motivation and symbol for 2016. No matter what comes my way, I will get back up (and will obviously look adorable doing it).