Osaka: Some Small Castle

On a muggy afternoon in Osaka, the Castle stood proudly, oblivious to the plight of its most recent invaders: a band of weary Europeans, wrestling with the formidable foes known only to travelers – jetlag and humidity. As they trudged across the moat, their armor was not samurai steel but rather a sheen of sweat, courtesy of the local air that seemed as thick as miso soup.