Alex Quinn's Japan Journal

5/1/2005, Mom trip day 5: Osaka, Aquarium, Häagen Dazs cafe, okonomiyaki

If Japan is my home, then Aioi is my hometown since that's where I have always lived in Japan.  But, Osaka is my home away from home, since that's where Akemi lives.  In fact, I think I know my way around Osaka at least as well as Aioi, since I spend more of my recreation time in Osaka.  So, we spent the day checking out a few of my favorite places in Osaka.

Osaka Aquarium (Kaiyukan)

The aquarium is probably my favorite tourist attraction in Osaka.  Well, depending on when and where I am when you ask me.  It's big, beautiful, easy to navigate, beautiful, full of natural-looking places full of all kinds of sea creatures from all over the world, and beautiful.  Highly recommended for anyone planning a visit to Osaka.  Unfortunately, it's really hard to take pictures of fish inside tanks using a regular digital camera.  In particular, there's not enough light and the flash reflects of the tanks ruining the pictures.  Moreover, many of the most interesting animals they have - jellyfish, crabs, a two-toed sloth - are all hard to photograph.  But, here are a couple pictures for good measure.

Unfortunately, we picked a national holiday during mid-day to visit.  So, it was very crowded.  It's usually not so bad.  Night (just before closing) is probably the best time to go.  This is a walkway that goes through an area with lots of tropical fish. (hq)

More tropical fish. (hq)

Akemi and me against a backdrop of small fish, sardines if I recall. (hq)

A model of a famous ship, just outside the aquarium. (hq)

A giant ferris wheel, just outside the aquarium.  It's one of the world's biggest ferris wheels, if not the biggest. (hq)

Coffee and ice cream

Later, we all went out for coffee. (hq)

Japanese cafes have really beautiful and tasty desserts.  These are plastic models outside a cafe. (hq)

After coffee, we headed for a different district in Osaka, toward the great Häagen Dazs cafe.

Delicious ice cream desserts at the Häagen Dazs cafe in the Shinsaibashi area of Osaka.  Akemi got vanilla ice cream with espresso to pour over it.  My mom went for a caramel ice cream sundae with other good stuff.  I leaned east with a traditional Japanese tinted sundae of green tea ice cream, sweet red beans (azuki), rice flour dough balls (mochi), vanilla ice cream, and pound cake.

After the ice cream, we went out for okonomiyaki.  It was my mom's first time eating okonomiyaki.  We went to a place called Yukari in Umeda Station, the main station in Osaka.

Note: Photos marked with "(HQ)" were taken by my mom.

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