Welcome champagned on Formal Night. Then dinner at Sabbatini's. Frescobaldi wine from Tuscany was featured.  But we instead had Bertani Amarone from the Valpolicella region of Verona, Italy. With white wine and gin martini. Appetizers. My  grand soup. A misti assortment. A couple of shrimp dishes, My dinner of mushroom risotto and ossobuco. Panna Cotta dessert. On to karaoke. Final stop at Skywalker's Night Club Only 3126 steps on Day 2 of cruise. We arrived in the Port of Osaka the morning of Day 3.  We are berthed almost alongside the largest aquarium in the World, Kaiyukan.  I've been to Osaka at least 50 times.  Here is  my posting of almost exactly two years ago , which described this city, and showed a photo of whale sharks in this aquarium.  They are today called Kai and Yu Went early for lunch, so breakfast was still being served.  A concoction of rice, miso soup. hash, sunny side egg and natto. to start, with a Bloody Mary. Second c...

The population of Japan was 60 million in 1925, 73 million in 1940, 72 million after the war in 1945, 128 million in 2010, then dropped to 126 million in 2020, and further declined to 123 million in 2025. The falling birth rate has been the primary reason for the decline, but the economy, earthquake / tsunami / Fukushima nuclear disaster and COVID Pandemic also contributed.   In 2024, 60 countries/sites, yes, 60, had a drop in population.   Spain  -0.02% Thailand  -.06% South Korea  -0.08% Greenland -0.16% China  -0.22% Italy  -0.31% Germany  -.0.34% Cuba  -0.38% Taiwan  -0.43% Japan  -0.51% Russia  -.053% Greece  -1.77% Saint Martin -4.92% The U.S. population is projected to increase from 342 million in 2024 to a peak of 370 million in 2080, then drop to 366 million in 2100. The two main population centers in Japan are Kanto (Tokyo, Yokohama, etc.) Province with 43.7 million and Kansai (Osaka, Kyoto, etc.) Provi...