We take a train to Osaka. Karl, Kikumi, and Ike are going to head for Fukuoka while I'm going to stay in Osaka before heading for Tokyo and home. I get out for a 3.5 hour walk exploring the city before relaxing in my room for a while.
It should be noted that during this entire trip there has been a religious fervor following the Osaka Hanshin Tigers baseball team. Perennial last place finishers, this year they are leading the league. As a result every game is sold out and the games are a huge party. Normally teams start counting down the magic number (the combination of your wins and other contenders' losses needed to clinch the league championship) at 10. In Osaka they started counting 10 days ago at 54 and are now down to 49.
There are only two logical explanations for why the
Osaka Hanshin Tigers are doing so well this year:
1) They heard that I was going to visit and wanted to show their best.
2) Tsubasa Imai threw out the opening pitch of the season and has
brought them luck. (Actually it may not have been the season opener
where he threw out the first pitch. But I certainly remember him
throwing out the first pitch in one early season game and seeing
his cute little butt in the Tigers' uniform.)