Being back in a major metropolitan area with readily available public transit was REALLY nice.
The Osaka castle was walking distance from our hotel so touring that was a no-brainer. Nice historical site and they did a good job inside (no pictures allowed) talking about it’s construction, capture and reconstruction.
After the castle we headed over to the aquarium. They have it laid out with sections for each of the major seas/oceans (including sections for things like the Great Barrier Reef).
Anna ran into a YouTube personality (no, not PewDiePie), Sam Does Arts. (Interestingly, he’s from Toronto so it was pretty wild seeing him in Osaka.)
Outside of the aquarium is the worlds largest giant Ferris Wheel.
The next day was a baseball game. 30 years ago when I was in Japan the crew I was there with went to a baseball game and said it was amazing. I don’t recall why I didn’t go but after this experience I agree – it’s amazing. Every time your team is at bat it’s a pep rally. If a batter gets on base up come the flags and a song. Same if a run is made. Each team has a “cheering squad” (fans that volunteer to lead the crowd, including drums and trumpets) spread throughout the stadium so each section can join in.
After the game we headed over to the TeamLabs Botanical Gardens. I didn’t know what to expect, but it’s an “immersive” experience – as you walk around various plants or objects will light up and music/sound will play (in some instances images will appear). It’s more engaging than it sounds.
TeamLabs is where Anna ran into her second YouTube personality – Kyle Metcalf. He’s much smaller than Sam but it resonates with Anna – his channel is him traveling around in Japan (as a student) interviewing people as he tries to improve his Japanese.
