Shinsaibashi & The Fuzzy Mizukakejizo

Next we caught a train to Shinsaibashi, the Picking Bridge where young adults meet to pick up their dates. We walked around a bit, window shopping, before meeting my mother-in-law for an early dinner.

By this time Ross had formed a hypothesis about Japan, which I have simply called the "Kameny Hypothesis." Ross has come to believe that every young woman wearing an item of clothing with the camouflage pattern will without exception be hot. Time and time again his hypothesis was confirmed and on my casual perusal I would have to agree with his theory. But I am sure, Ross being an astute scientist, he will continue to gather empirical evidence to bolster his theory.

Once we met her mother at the station we walked down a few side streets to a well-known kushikatsu restaurant. It was dark and we passed a small shrine with a half dozen or so people worshipping there. It was a small outdoor shrine with a spring of natural water and a small stone statue as the centerpiece. The prayer ritual required the person to pour the pure water over the statue, in the form of a man. This particular statue, or "mizukakejizo," was COMPLETELY covered in moss from having been doused thousands and thousands of times.


We eventually arrived at the restaurant and I realized that my wife and I had eaten at one of their other restaurants during my last visit to Osaka. Kushikatsu are small skewers dipped into a light batter and deep fried. Served with vegetable sticks, several condiments and sauces and, of course, a beer with a creamy head of foam. (Note the unapproving look on my wife's face for taking this photo in a crowded restaurant!)

We ordered omikasei, or chef's choice, which basically assures that he will cooked up the freshest and best ingredients of the day until we cannot eat anymore. Dinner was good!

It was only about 8PM and we were all sleepy, so we headed back home, dropped Ross off at his hotel then went to bed.