Sakai - Japanese garden

We started the day by walking to the nearby Namba Yasaka Shrine.

It's got a big lion face.

 It's 12m tall and 7m deep.

 Inside the mouth.

 A monument of the tampion (muzzle cover) of the main gun on the battleship Mutsu.

  

 We had bahn mis for breakfast.

 The stairs going up there were narrow and steep.

 Cabbage kid, fried cabbage.

 An anti-littering mascot.

 This big thing is out in front of Sakai station.

 It looks different from the other side.

It's the season for carp streamers.

 The bridge had this bird motif.

 Decorations on the brick wall.

 Canada looks different from what I remember.

 Lots of pictures of ships around. Sakai has been one of the largest and most important seaports of Japan since medieval times.

 Hole covers showing a lighthouse and a ship.

 Suumo mascot on a swing.

 Sakai's Xavier Park.

 Sakai's Traditional Crafts Museum, where you can learn about the town's traditional industries, of which there are a lot.

Once known for samurai swords, Sakai is now famous for the quality of its kitchen knives; most high-quality Japanese cutlery originates in Sakai, and its production is a major industry in the city.

 The steps from lump to knife.

 Who knew there were so many kinds of knives?

 Traditional fabric weaving.

 Yukata made using traditional dyeing techniques.

 A giant pair of scissors, setting up the return of the Scissorman in the sequel.

 Some tiki dudes outside a restaurant.

 Wiggly Jim

 Daisen Park, just chock-full of tumuli. 

The giant keyhole-shaped tumulus (burial mound) is another thing Sakai is famous for.

The biggest one is about 500m long and 300m wide, the largest grave in the world by area.

 We spent a while in the Japanese garden.

 Who's that out on the bridge?

 Mr. Dribbles.

 A pair of ducks.

 A maple tree with red seedpods out.

 The koi were making a splash in one corner where a boy was throwing out fish food.

 The tower of peace (Heiwa-to).

 More art in the station.

 We had dinner at Camp, a camping-themed curry restaurant.

 Everything is camping gear.

 I also got a chicken-mushroom pie at Pie Face.

 The pies are so cute.