Sherry: I don't see the castle.
This is just another busy street.
Michiko: We're facing the wrong direction.
The castle is behind us.
[face => 向かう]
Sherry: Behind us?
Why doesn't the subway exit open towards the castle?
[open towards 〇〇 => 〇〇に向かってひらく、戸口〇〇に向かっている]
Jun: This station is not just for the castle.
A lot of people go to work near here.
[not just for 〇〇 => 〇〇だけのためではない]
Tom: How far is the castle?
Jun: About two hundred meters.
We go to that stoplight on the left and turn left, ...
Jun: ... around this corner, and we can see it.
There it is, right it front of us.
 |
| Osaka Castle and Inui Turret from corner near Temmabashi Station |
Sherry: Oh? That's the castle?
It looks so small.
Jun: That's just the turret on the northwest corner.
[turret => 櫓]
Sherry: Oh. Well, if that's just the turret
on the northwest corner, ...
Michiko: It's called the Inui Turret.
乾櫓 (Inui Yagura) in Japanese.
 |
| Osaka Castle -- Inui Turret from Temmabashi, closeup |
behind the turret,
you can see the top
of the main castle tower.
[
There it is:]
Sherry: Really?
I can't tell.
It looks like
one building to me.
Tom: What does Inui mean?
Michiko: The northwest wind is a dry wind.
Sherry: It means all that?
Jun: It means "dry".
But it also means "northwest",
and "wind from the northwest".
Tom: Why so many meanings?
Jun: Just the history of the word
and words it sounded like.
Tom: What are these buildings we are walking past?
Michiko: The buildings on our left
are prefectural government buildings,
tax offices and that kind of stuff.
[prefecture => 都道府県]
[prefectural government building => 府庁舎]
Tom: Oh. Suddenly I feel like I want to be very quiet.
Jun: That's funny.
Sherry: Why?
Jun: People often hold protests here.
It can get very noisy.
[protest => 抗議活動]
Tom: Really? That must be interesting to see.
Michiko: Not really. Not usually.
Sometimes the protests get a little scary.
[scary => 怖い感じをさせる]
Sherry: But it's important that people can protest.
Jun: True, ...
Tom: How about on the right?
It looks like there's an exercise ground
on the other side of the netting.
Is that a school?
Michiko: Yes, honey, that's a public high school.
There's a technical school squeezed in there, too.
Tom: It's very tight quarters.
Sherry: I think I see it now.
I mean, I don't see it now.
Tom: What?
Sherry: I thought there was a pointed roof on the turret.
But I don't see the pointed roof any more.
Jun: That was the top of the castle.
Now it's hidden behind the trees.
Michiko: Well, here we are at the corner.
We can take the walkover over there on our left,
or we can wait for the light.
[walkover => 歩道橋の陸橋]
Sherry: Let's take the walkover.
I don't mind climbing stairs.
What's that building on the other side of the street, there?
Michiko: On the north of the castle?
Sherry: Yeah.
Jun: That's a private school.
It's a combined junior high school and high school.
Michiko: There's an elementary school, too,
on the other side of the junior high school.
Jun: Michiko and I both went there.
The name is a little confusing.
[confuse => 混乱や矛盾を起こす]
Sherry: What's it called?
Michiko: 「追手門」 (Oh-te-mon).
Tom: Didn't you say that was
the name of the front gate of the castle?
Jun: That's 「大手門」(Oh-te-mon).
They're different characters.
The school is "The gate of the pursuing hand",
but the "big hand gate" means the front gate.
Tom: Oh-kay.
Sherry: Why is the school named like that?
Michiko: The school has a longer history than it has.
Tom: Honey, you are being very cryptic today.
[(be) cryptic => 不可解な（話をする）]
 |
| Osaka Castle west moat, looking south |
later. We came to see
the castle, today.
It's a nice view
of the outer walls
of the castle from up here
on the walkover, isn't it?
Sherry: Yes, it is.
Let's take some pictures.
Tom: Those moats are as big
as they looked on the map.
How do we get across? Swim?
[moat: 堀]
Michiko: I'll hold you clothes while you try it.
Tom: I guess I'll pass.
It doesn't look like it would be very easy
to go swimming there, anyway.
Jun: Or fishing. I was joking when I said that.
Tom: I thought you were joking, of course.
Can you take a picture of Michiko and me
with the turret behind us?
 |
| Inui Turret from northwest (Ohtemon-mae) walkover |
Jun: Sure. Let's got Sherry in there, too,
And then we can trade places.
Sherry: If that's your old school, sweetheart, ...
Jun: Don't embarrass me.
Michiko: Relax, Jun. You're among friends.
Jun: But, ...
Sherry: Let's take some pictures with the school
in the background, too.
[Sorry this is so much English. I need more pictures, but I haven't taken them, yet.]
(to be continued ...)
