Recently I took a trip to Osaka with one of my friends. There were two things I heard about it before I got there; the people were friendly and that the shopping was really great. I have decieded that neither are good reasons to go. I thought the people were ruder and pushier than those in Nagoya and that the shopping was the same as other places I have been in Japan. So I would not recommend going somewhere with the expectation to go shopping. I had intended to buy a whole new outfit and the only clothing I bought was a scarf (only because it was very cold).

On the other hand I don't think it's too terrible to go somewhere not knowning before hand what you want to see. At the shinkansen station there was a tourist center which was very helpful. We found out about a Christmas market that was really fun, especially since Japan doesn't celebrate Christmas like we do in America. But when I do go to Tokyo I know exactly some things I must do there.

I think the best place in Osaka was Osaka Castle. It was amazingly beautiful! I was really happy that the history museum on the inside had an English translation of everything. I read them all trying to remember as much as I could about the history. Understanding why the castle is significant makes me appreciate it more. The museum in Nagoya Castle does not have much English and therefore I found it rather boring. Learning = interesting.