On the second day, I decided to visit Osaka Castle, 大阪城 (oosakajou). There is more than one entrance to access the castle, but I choose to get down at Tanimachi 4-chome Station, 谷町四丁目駅 (tanimachiyonchoomeeki) and walk towards Osaka Castle Park’s Southwestern Otemon Gate, 大手門 (ootemon), which is the main gate.
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| The Castle grounds are surrounded by water |
The Castle’s main tower is located at the inner part of the castle grounds. There are other gates, turrets, and attractions inside the castle grounds. A ticket is needed in order to enter the main tower of Osaka Castle. The inside of the Castle is clean and modern, not lacking any necessary facilities.
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| Main Tower of Osaka Castle |
Inside the castle is actually a museum, telling the history and story of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, 豊臣 秀吉 (toyotomihideyoshi), an ally of Oda Nobunaga, 織田 信長 (odanobunaga). At the top floor of the castle, there’s a small souvenir shop. Visitors can enjoy the scenery around the area from the balcony.
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| The square in front of the Main Tower |
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| The Castle surrounded by waters |
After Osaka Castle, my destination is Osaka Aquarium or Kaiyukan, 海遊館 (kaiyuukan). It is a short walk from Osakako Station, 大阪港駅 (oosakakoueki). Before crossing the road to the Aquarium, I noticed an elegant and nice place, La Centifolia. It is actually a shop that serves dessert, while the adjoining part of the building has a chapel-like interior that can be rented for wedding ceremonies.
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| La Centifolia |
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| Delicious dessert at a pleasant atmosphere |
The Aquarium is just across the road, and the Tempozan Ferris Wheel also comes into view. That area is known as Tempozan Harbor Village. A shopping center, the Tempozan Marketplace is adjacent to the Ferris wheel.
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| Kaiyukan has a unique design |
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| Tempozan Ferris Wheel and Shopping center |
The Aquarium is actually one of the best in the world. It houses marine life from around the world. The main attraction will be the largest tank that holds a whale shark, manta rays, other species of sharks, and schools of other fishes. Penguins, dolphins, and otters are also exhibited at the aquarium.
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| The Tunnel at the beginning |
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| Penguins |
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| The famous whale shark |
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| Japanese Spider Crab |
Visiting the aquarium is definitely worth it. At the end of it, we can actually touch manta rays and fishes. I take a quick walk in the shopping center and one interesting part of it is the Naniwa Food Theme Park, where Osaka’s variety of food are exhibited. Then, I took a ride on the Tempozan Ferris Wheel.
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| Osaka Bay can be seen |
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| The Places I visited just now |
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| View of the city |
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| The Ferris wheel changes color at night |
After the ride on the Ferris wheel, I ate dinner at a restaurant nearby. After having Gyudon, 牛丼 (gyuudon) and Udon, うどん (udon) for dinner, it’s time to go back for a rest ahead of more travels the next day.
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Gyudon, 牛丼 (gyuudon) and Udon, うどん (udon) for dinner
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Read about the first day's travel here and please stay tuned for the following days' travels.
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