We started our day fairly early. We were all kinda beat by this day, but there was still Osaka to see! So we got ready around 9 and headed off to Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan.
A picture of the rare occurrence that something is taller than Jocelyn.
The beautiful outside of the aquarium.
We noticed that the dolphins on the outside are not permanent. The tiles are hanging on the outside by wires. It makes me thing that this section of the mural changes.
Here you can see the wires and tiles really well.
While we were waiting we started dancing to the music that the ticket booth was playing.
We met up with an old friend of mine from three years ago when I lived in Osaka! Yui came to hang out with us. We met her at the aquarium.We saw so many large animals, I was amazed.
Otters
Seal
Capybara
Penguins (Have video. Too big.)
more seals
sting ray
I was especially impressed with the Whale Sharks in the big tank at the center of the building.
Comparing the two I’d say that Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan has more large animals like whales and seals, but the Niigata aquarium has more fish. I saw a lot more interesting fish at Niigata than I did at Osaka.
This school of silver fish was probably my favorite tank in the whole place. I really thought they were pretty and mesmerizing. As they swam in a circle around the rock in the center of the tank, they had their mouths wide open. So we thought that made them look like they were screaming.
Here is a compilation video of all the video footage I took while at the aquarium. It shows otters, otter feeding time, penguins, dolphins, the screaming fish, and the whale shark.
Look! Lobsters can be blue! I didn't know that before coming here.
These jelly fish are so cool!
Funny little sand eels. or worms... whatever they are, they are cute and cool.
At Osaka most all the animals were quite active. They were playing and feeding and a lot of them were just as interested in us as we were of them. There was a little Finding Nemo/Dory themed exhibit that I enjoyed very much. They had a replica tank of the fish tank in the Dentist’s office in the movie. It was super cute!
After all the fish in the tanks there was an area where you could pet some small sharks and rays. They were so cool! The sharks felt like sandpaper and the rays were… strangely smooth and squishy. But also still firm. Like firm jello… maybe. I don’t know how to describe it. Go touch a ray and then you’ll understand. ((Didn't realize I didn't get any photographs of the sharks and rays. Sorry.))
I don't know what this weird thing is, but its adorable!
After the aquarium we took a ride in the Tempozan Ferris wheel next to the aquarium. It was really cool, it took about fifteen minutes to go a full rotation. It was so worth it! Beautiful view and wonderful friends!
Here is a manhole cover for Osaka.
We then hopped back on the train for the famous Dotonburi shopping area in Osaka.
We found the Glico Man, and the beautiful river that runs through the shopping area. I bought a new outfit at Jocelyn’s favorite store in Japan.
and headed to a coffee shop. It was at this point that Yui had to bid us farewell. I will truly miss her, until we meet again. She has always been such a good friend. I learned that she is getting her degree to be an English teacher as well! I wish her the best of luck.
Here are some light posts around Dotonburi. They look rather robotic or humanoid. Way cool! They are all different colors as well.
After Yui left we wandered around Dotonburi for a while longer around the river. The sun was setting at this point and it made for some beautiful pictures with the water. I am absolutely in love with how the light reflects off the water. It creates a beautiful rainbow of fabulous colors.
We made our way to the National Bunraku Theatre. When we arrived the last show of the night had already started, but there was a little display room to the side that we went in. It was pretty neat. They had some of the Bunraku Puppets on display with their little clothes. They also had film playing of some Bunraku performances. These are impressive because it takes three people to control one puppet. And there is one man who does all the speaking parts for the whole play, and one man who does the music. It is said that the man doing the diction and the man doing the music are always in perfect harmony, neither one ever out-performing the other.
The clock chimed 6, and the theater closed. On our way out we saw a giant bunraku puppet head and had to do some face swapping.
We made our way back to our hotel and got ready for the next half of our day: Party Time! I wore my new outfit!
We started off our evening getting dinner at a small pub near our hostel called Beer Belly. I cannot stress how amazing this place was. It had real foreign food! Real Sheppard’s pie and real sausage that you’d get in Ireland (according to Cormac.) It was truly delicious food and I will dream of it until the day I die! Go. If you’re ever in Osaka, Go.
We wandered in the general direction of our ultimate destination, while kinda sorta playing the Combini Game, and on the way we ran into a Scottish/Celtic wiskey bar called Bar Tarlogie Sona. It was really nice. Gotta say, I’m not a huge fan of whiskey on the rocks, but I had fun haning out with my buddies.
After we had our fill of wiskey, and we were feeing good and sloshed at this point, we ran into a sheep statue in Osaka. Cormac’s a bad influence and I was drunk so this happened.
Super fun!
It was getting close to the time of the ultimate destination so we headed to Club Picadilly. I had broke the seal at Bar Tarlogie Sona, so I had to find a bathroom quick. I ran into a combini and accidentally cut in the bathroom line in front of this guy, but I felt that the bathroom door was locked, so there must be someone in there. I realized what I had done and apologized. We got to talking while we waited in line for the bathroom. I leaned that his name was Thiago, and we became friends. Too much time had passed, and I tried the door again. Still locked. We realized that the owners of the combini weren’t letting patrons use the restroom, even though they told us where it was and let us stand in line forever (I get the feeling they got a kick out of that.) I told the guy that and we both rushed out of the combini to find ourselves a restroom. I found a restroom and met my friends back in line at Club Picadilly. Going in we knew that the cost to get into Club Picadlly was around ￥4500 (about $45.) I get my money out and we make it to the front of the line. No sooner are we all about to pay when Thiago shows up from inside Club Picadilly and told the doorman not to charge us because “Foreigners get in free.” and then he winked at me.
That’s right my friends: I schmoozed my way into a club! But I did it with friendship and not promises of sex, or something. I don’t really know how schmoozing works.
Apparently Thiago is kind-of a big deal in Club Picadilly, I don’t know exactly what he does there, but he does enough to boss around the doormen.
Club Picadilly was our ultimate destination because that night one of Jocelyn’s favorite Dubstep DJs playing; Dannic. And let me tell you, he was way good! We had so much fun dancing the night away! We caught some photos and video, although the video doesn’t actually feature any of Dannic’s music, but that of his openers.
Me and Jocelyn dancing to the beat!
We danced for around four hours! Then in the wee hours of the morning we took the long walk back to our Hostel. It was quite the night to remember.
Kiss-themed Luck God.
Funny "Clean up your dog's shit" sign.
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