Museums and a Market in Osaka, Osaka, Japan

Ah, the ninth and last day of my solo Kansai trip. Today I will be visiting two museums, one of which is in Toyonaka City, north of Osaka City, and I start my day early wanting to arrive at the Open Air Museum of Old Japanese Farmhouses as it opens. I use the 1-Day Osaka Visitor's Ticket (can be used on Osaka's municipal subway, tram, and buses) that I had bought for 550 yen at Kansai Airport on the day I arrived.

I take the red line to Esaka Station (the last stop) and transfer to the Kita-Osaka Kyuko Railway. The automatic gate bars me from entering. Oops. My pass is not valid in this railway and I ask for help from the station attendant. Without her uttering a word in English, she helps me at the machine where I have to pay 90 yen for fare adjustment.

I arrive at Hattori Ryokuchi Park, where the Open Air Museum of Old Japanese Farmhouses is located. It's a huge park. The size overwhelms me; I have to gather my wits about. As I wend my way through the park in the general direction of the museum, I observe a man sleeping on a bench, flower beds abloom, and a bunch of kids on a school outing.

I finally reach the museum. Students clad in suits are lingering outside. I-we are a few minutes early. Good, I can eat my breakfast on a nearby bench. By the time I come back the students have disappeared. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).