Osaka is as far North as I ever went in Japan. I traveled there by volunteering to drive a school bus of volleyball players from our base in Iwa Kuni up to an English school in the vicinity of Osaka. I didn't have anything to do on the day of the tournament so I took the train into downtown Osaka. I wondered randomly, eventually coming to an undeveloped strip of land which had a little brook in it. I followed that for a while and then veered back into the built-up areas again. Then I spotted Osaka Castle and I knew that is what I wanted to see. I had been to Hiroshima castle a lot: It is small but beautifully laid out in very pleasing proportions. Osaka castle was on an entirely different scale: Here in the middle of the biggest city I had ever seen, the metropolis stretched to the horizon, were vast open areas. One would cross a moat and then climb up a level, just to see another open area with another moat and another rise. The next time I would see such an impressive grounds was when, five years later, I went to the citadel at Quebec City in Canada. I took a lot of photographs. I should dig them out and post them sometime...