Osaka: the Aquarium, Dotonbori, Mizuno store and Osaka Castle

We enjoyed Mr. Ryutaro Nohara of MK Taxi so much in Kyoto, we decided to hire him for the day again on Sunday, April 17 to take us to Osaka. But Sunday was supposed to be rainy, so we decided to start the day at the Osaka Aquarium. It's about an hourlong drive from Kyoto to Osaka, so we got there in time for the 10 a.m. opening. 

Mr. Nohara's tours don't usually include admission for him into the Osaka Aquarium, but we wanted him to hang with us so we paid for his admission...and the aquarium is so well done! It is awesome! It is one of the world's largest aquariums and features close to 30,000 animals. 

The centerpiece of the aquarium is the HUGE tank that holds all different animals, including rays, sharks, fish...you name it. I loved the jellyfish too. Before leaving, I even got a chance to touch a ray. As you can see, it was quite a surprise for me - don't know why, but it was. :) 

Leopard Ray at the Osaka Aquarium was quite slimy - to my surprise. 

We all enjoyed our visit to the Osaka Aquarium, even if it was a "rainy day activity" with the forecasted to rain. But we didn't see much rain, so we headed for our next stop, which was Dotonbori district for some quick shopping and eating from street vendors.

And oh my gosh, the food didn't disappoint there. I even saw someone I knew from Hawaii at Dotonbori - amazing how small this world has become. 

Dotonbori District in Osaka...more shopping and eating!

But back to the food...G and I had Starbucks' cantaloupe melon and creme frappucino that they introduced in Japan in April. The line was out the door and everyone was ordering that. I didn't get a good photo of it, but it was a little strange with bits of fruit at the bottom. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it sure didn't seem to have the caffeine kick I usually get from the fraps. Then the four of us shared the most AMAZING takoyaki from a  street vendor. Squid isn't usually my favorite type of food, but I decided if someone is preparing it right in front of your eyes, then it's gotta be good. And it was AWESOME. I think I could go for a tray right now. Yum yum!

Then it was off to the Mizuno store in Osaka, where Mr. Nohara just parked outside and waited for us while we went shopping. What a cool guy! I know the guys really wanted to go there and G has been talking about Mizuno irons since we first met. No, he didn't buy clubs, but found a lot of other swag, including some judo stuff for his judo rockstar nieces.

The forecasted rain never materialized, and it turned out to be such a great day that everyone was out at the parks on that Sunday near the Osaka Castle. So we had to wait for parking to open up, then it was quite a long walk to the Osaka Castle. Up stairs, around the park, more stairs and more stairs! Aaaahhh! It is a very impressive castle...those imperial people sure knew how to live. At the top, there are great views of Osaka and the park nearby. Amazingly beautiful. 

Alas, it was time to head back to Kyoto for the hourlong drive (which took 14 minutes on the shinkansen, by the way.)...and a chance meeting with the Westin Kyoto doorwoman Misae, who's a very striking, tall Japanese woman who says she LOVES coming to Hawaii to eat. She also took our photo with Mr. Nohara below. What a GREAT third day in Japan. 

The four of us all smiles after a day in Osaka with Mr. Nohara.