Osaka - Kita and Minami; 2 points of distinction in western Japan's largest city Map of the Kinki region Osaka has a population of approximately 2.65 million and is the third largest city in Japan with only Tokyo and Yokohama sporting larger populations. Osaka is today the largest city in western Japan and has come a long way from the castle town used by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Many rivers run through and around the city and thus the city has been given the title of "a city of water." The presence of water notwithstanding however, the city today has 2 distinctive 'centers.' In the north, the Kita area around Umeda and to the south of Kita, running along the north-south Mido-suji Street, the Minami area around Namba are always filled with crowds. Kita plays host to many modern shops and various shopping-cum-entertainment complexes while Minami contains both fashionable stores and shops selling local Osakan goods and dishes all wrapped up in a lively, bustling atmosphere. When you talk about Osaka, you can't forget to talk about the food culture of Japan's 3rd largest city and supporting the well known European image that portrays Osaka as the kitchen of Japan is the local saying that people in Osaka will eat themselves out of house and home; the result of the city being host to a wealth of inexpensive restaurants.

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Kasuga Taisha Setsubun Bantoro - Kasuga Taisha Shrine, Nara City, Nara Prefecture - February 3 (Fri), 2012 (Setsubun Festival starts at 2 p.m., Setsubun Bantoro at 6 p.m.) The tradition of donating lanterns here at Kasuga Taisha Shrine in this Japanese ancient capital started with the historical Fujiwara family 800 years ago and has been continued up until the present day. Some of the 3,000 lanterns found here are even the actual ones from back then. Every year all of the lanterns are lit on Setsubun in February and again on August 14 and 15. The stone lanterns form a line from Ninotorii to Shin-en and are accompanied by hanging lanterns hung along the vermilion-lacquered corridors. This scene is reminiscent of when an ancient aristocracy ruled the land. http://www.kasugataisha.or.jp/calendar/winter02.html (Japanese version only)

All information is subject to change without notice.

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