Osaka in July - Part 3

Hep Five Ferris Wheel - Building a Ferris wheel into the upper floors of a shopping mall in the middle of an enormous city was a bold and brilliant idea. The Hep Five Ferris Wheel, named so because it is in/on the Hep Five shopping center just beside Osaka Station, rises 106 meters above the city. The lower dimensions of the wheel actually dip into the shopping mall. There are 52 gondolas, each with a four-person capacity. One lazy rotation takes 15 minutes and will cost you JPY700.



The Umeda Sky Building (梅田スカイビル) is the fifth-tallest building in Osaka City, and one of the city's most recognizable landmarks. It consists of two 40-story towers that connect at their two uppermost stories, with bridges and an escalator crossing the wide atrium-like space in the center.
Located in the Umeda district of Kita-ku, the building was originally conceived in 1988 as the "City of Air" project, which planned to create four interconnected towers in northern Osaka. Eventually, practical considerations brought the number of towers down to two.








Capsule stayin'

Game playin'

Spaworld - an amazing onsen experiance for only 1,000 yen.
http://www.spaworld.co.jp/bijin.html
My joyful find!
The Museum of Oriental Ceramics - Founded in 1982. It houses 2000 pieces of ceramics, among them designated National Treasures. It also features a natural-light gallery for its Korean celadon pottery.

Osaka in July - Part 2

Osaka is known for its food, as supported by the saying "Dress (in kimonos) till you drop in Kyoto, eat till you drop in Osaka" (京の着倒れ、大阪の食い倒れ). Osaka regional cuisine includes okonomiyaki (pan-fried batter cake), takoyaki (octopus dumplings), udon (a noodle dish), as well as regional sushi and other traditional Japanese foods. It is said that to succeed in the Osaka food service business, the food must taste above-average, have larger servings than normal, be inexpensive and fast.

Out of all the food that Osaka had to offer - we chose Mexican and Strawberry Margaritas.

Osaka in July - Part 1

Dotonbori (道頓堀) is one of the most famous landmarks of Osaka. It is a canal and former pleasure district, best known for its surrounding theaters, shops, and restaurants. The area is famous for the bridge across the canal itself and many colorful neon signs, including snack/candy manufacturer Glico's giant electronic display of a runner crossing the finish line.



Amerikamura (アメリカ村, American Village) is a small entertainment/retail area near Shinsaibashi (Minami) in Osaka. Amerikamura is identifiable by the small scale Statue of Liberty which peers down on the streets. It is a well-known haunt of resident expatriate Westerners, and centers on Triangle Park, a concreted rest area surrounded by retail outlets of Western fashions, bars and nightclubs, some of which are run by Westerners.
However, its repute as a hangout for Western foreigners is a matter of degree. Much as Osaka's registered foreign population is a small fraction of the total population, the makeup of the crowds and retail space in Ame-mura is predominantly Japanese. Locally, Ame-mura is known for being a good place for observing some of the more "fashion intense" manifestations of Japanese youth culture.

Glico Man - Originally installed in 1919, the giant athlete is a symbol of Glico candy, featuring a running man on a blue track.





Kuidaore Taro - In front of Restaurant Cui-daore is the mechanical drum-playing clown, also known as Kuidaore Ningyo. He was installed in 1950, and instantly became a popular tourist attraction, even now being swarmed by crowds of tourists patiently waiting their turn to snap a memento.

Engrish

I wonder?
Ouch!
Yayy!

See ya then Kitty!



My friend Shaady gave me "The Joys of Engrish" before she left and they were hilarious. These are all from the website: www.engrish.com

Check it out for a good time!