On March 16, 2026 I journeyed to Takarazuka, a city about 15 minutes by local train from my neighborhood in Nishinomiya.

I was going to Takarazuka to visit Kiyoshikōjin Seichō-ji, an ancient Buddhist Temple.

At Hankyu Takarazuka station I transferred to the main line, (towards Osaka), for the one-stop ride to Kiyoshi-Kōjin station.

Another reason for visiting the temple was to explore the old, 1.3 km "pilgrim's path", (traditionally known as the Dragon's Path), that wends its way through the hills to the temple grounds, and is lined with fascinating old shops and eateries.

Here are a few of the sights along the "Dragons Path"...

After about 20 minutes I arrived at the entrance to Kiyoshikōjin Seichō-ji temple.

And, as expected, the temple grounds looked like so many others I've visited over the years.

But that day, the temple grounds had an especially magical feeling because I was wearing noise-cancelling earbuds, and listening to Rod Paul's "Allie's Pool Mix".

The music enhanced everything along the "Dragon's Path" and on the temple grounds with a distant, surreal atmosphere.

I found myself thanking Rod over and over again for contributing to such an enjoyable experience.

After spending some time strolling the temple grounds and checking out the Ryūōdaki Waterfall, I headed back down to the station.

Along the way, this caught my attention...

It was Tajimaya Shoten, (たじまや商店), a little shop selling dried food items like, beans, grains, and mushrooms.

What was unusual was all the glass jars and bottles on display, filled with various items in different colored liquids. What the hell were they?

I took out my earbuds and went in to chat with the woman running the shop.

The glass jars and bottles contained homemade fruit and herbal liqueurs (Kajitsushu) that were crafted by her father as a hobby. The store wasn't licensed to sell alcohol, so the bottled liqueurs just served as a unique display.

The shop was a family business founded in 1945.

The woman's father had passed away over 30 years ago, which meant all the liqueurs were at least three to four decades old!

She asked if I would like to taste some, but I was hesitant and asked if they were safe.

"Of course," she laughed, and prepared some samples for me to try.

Some I liked, and some tasted like medicine.

It was a unique and unexpected experience, and I was happy to have stopped to chat.

I continued down the hill and, just before reaching the train station, came across the Kitagawa Meat Shop, a popular and famous コロッケ (korokke, croquette) shop.

I would like to have tried some, but was unwilling to wait in that long line. Maybe next time.

I caught the next train and went back to Hankyu Takarazuka.

It was still early, so I decided to visit some nearby sites that were within easy walking distance of the station.

My first stop was the new Takarazuka Art Center, about 10 minutes away.

This impressive Gallery/Museum/Cultural Center opened in 2020 and was built on the grounds of the former "Family Land", an amusement park that operated from the mid-1960s until its closure in 2003.

The re-created bridge in the photo above is in the same location as the bridge in this 1960's photo below.

Almost every "older" person I've met from around the Kobe and Osaka region remembers going to Family Land with their parents when they were young.

Looks like it was a fun place.

I had visited the Art Center a couple of times in the past and was never too impressed with the "art" on display.

I was there in 2025 during a photography exhibition, and thought, "Why not?", and went in.

The gallery was filled with photos of cats! Many were by "professionals" and many were by "amateurs". I couldn't believe I paid money to see that show.

On my way out, an English-speaking gallery guide asked me, "Do you like cats?" I said, "Yes, but not this much."

So, this year, I was leery when I saw posters for the March exhibition showing sculptures made out of old toys.

But, I thought, "Why not?", and went in.

I liked it. There's something about OCD art installations I really appreciate. Maybe it's the similarity to working on animations, which as everyone knows, can be a rather OCD activity, also.

The sculptures were great, as were the floor "installations"...

Another thing I liked were these buckets of plastic toys and small parts in the last room.

A couple of tables were set-up with glue guns, wires, and other tools so children (and adults) could use the pieces and make their own creations...

... and hang them from these branches when they were done.

Some young children and their parents were there, busily making little sculptures from the buckets of parts.

I would love to have done something like that with my kids when they were young... or even now. 🙂

My next stop was the Osamu Tezuka (of Astro Boy fame) Manga Museum, located right next to the Art Center.

Osamu Tezuka was a legendary Japanese manga artist, cartoonist, animator, and licensed physician. He was widely revered as the "God of Manga" and the "Father of Anime".

Tezuka was prolific, creating hundreds of famous characters, including; Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion, Princess Knight, Black Jack, and Phoenix.

I didn't enter the museum on this day, but I've been there several times in the past, on my own and with our kids. I highly recommend a visit.

Visit the official site for some great information about Osamu Tazuka and his work.

I was just about to leave the museum grounds when I spotted this...

A phoenix?

No. Just a chicken.

This fellow had a nifty backpack pet carrier that included a battery-powered cooling fan and light. He said he took his pet chicken everywhere.

Ooookaay.

Heading back toward the station from the Tezuka Museum, I passed the home of Takarazuka's most iconic institution, The Takarazuka Revue.

Founded in 1913, it features lavish Broadway-style musical productions where all the male and female roles are played by women.

Visit the official site for more information about the Takarazuka Revue.

It is still wildly popular and has grown steadily over the years. The Grand Theater, the Revue's main venue, seats well over 2,500 people.

If you like mediocre singing and dancing, so-so acting, over-the-top staging, women occasionally wearing mustaches & beards, and feathers, (lots of feathers), this is the theater for you!

I don't mean to be snarky or overly negative. The performers train hard and are extremely talented, with many of them moving on to successful careers in film, TV, stage, and so on.

It's just that the productions seem to be stuck in some kind of time-warp where the staging, choreography, costumes, direction, etc. feels like old Las Vegas show-girl routines, or a cruise ship stage show on steroids.

And, yes, Akemi and I have attended a couple of performances.

The first was after "winning" two (expensive) tickets from NTT when we had our telephone line installed.

We left during the first intermission. (Akemi wasn't feeling well.)

We went again, a few years later, to catch (what was billed as) "The Iconic Grand Staircase Parade" finale that we missed the first time.

It was more of the same, but with even more feathers.

It's entertaining and the fans love it, but the Takarazuka Revue cannot be taken seriously as a world-class production.

I would suggest seeing it at least once, just for the experience.

What I did find impressive was the building and facilities.

The place is huge, with wide open walkways, restaurants, and even its own post office.

There's also a studio where you can have photos taken wearing your choice of elaborate stage costumes, makeup, and wigs.

And, of course, there's the enormous gift shop.

It was a quiet day when I visited, so I was able to walk through the main entrance doors and into the lobby of the Grand Theater.

Just as I took the photo, a well-dressed theater employee with lapel mic and earpiece, came rushing over to me. Oh-oh, I thought, now I'm in trouble.

But, with a friendly smile she said, "Your photo would look much nicer if the chandelier lights were turned on. Would you like me to do that for you?"

"Sure?", I said.

She spoke into her little mic and soon another person appeared way on the other side of the lobby, fiddled with a wall panel, and the lights came on.

I love this country!

After a number of "arigato gozaimashita's" and bows, I said goodbye, left the theater and headed for the train station.

But, it was getting late, and I was starving.

For some reason I went into a fast-food restaurant called "Zetteria" and ordered a hamburger and fries.

This was strange because I haven't had a fast-food restaurant hamburger in decades.

The smells of grilling and deep-frying brought back a lot of associated memories, not all positive.

Why I don't eat hamburgers at fast-food "restaurants".

The hamburger was dripping in sauce and I made a terrible mess trying to eat it with my hands.

But damn, it was delicious!

Hopefully it'll be another decade or two before I eat another one.

Feeling a bit queasy, I made my way to the Hankyu Takarazuka station...

... and boarded the train for Nishinomiya Kitaguchi.

It was a good day in Takarazuka.

BONUS MATERIAL

To download Rod Paul's "Allie's Pool Mix" from the Internet Archive site, click on the image link below.

To download Rod Paul's "Pointy House" mix from the Internet Archive site, click on the image link below.

A short bio of Hiroshi Fuji, the artist responsible for the toy sculpture installation, "Jurassic Plastic", at the Takarazuka Art Center.