Kaiyukan Osaka Aquarium
One of the main reasons we wanted to go to Osaka, was to visit the Kaiyukan aquarium for my ocean obsessed son! Our son and daughter love sea creatures so they really loved this place!
It was surprisingly a bit crowded when we went, but if you’re in no rush to get somewhere after, you can take your time strolling through and getting up to the glass to watch all of the fish and animals (so many of which we don’t have in our tiny aquarium in Hawai`i).
The main attraction is their whale shark in the large center tank. It’s actually a relaxing place for adults too because there is some seating near the end/bottom of this large tank to just sit on and stare into the water and ponder life.
We didn’t have time for that because we got hungry! :p Thankfully, right around that time, we found a little food cafe so we could grab a quick bite and soft serve. Appreciated that pit stop.
And at the end when you exit downstairs, there is a really great large gift shop with the cutest stuffies of just about all the major friends from the aquarium.
Next door is a little shopping center and food court so it makes this area convenient to spend half the day.
There’s also a giant Ferris wheel (which we recommend riding) to get a view of the entire area. If you can get over the fear of heights, then it’s really a slow, (15 minute) gorgeous ride to pause and take it all in on one round. And if you want a little thrill, they have glass bottom carts that you can ride in in too!
But the best part was probably strolling around on the streets where we saw an actual Hercules beattle store! A place to buy these bugs that my son loves. They’re about $200 each for the big ones and they sell everything you need there from the case, logs, food, etc. And if you unfortunately can’t take them home, :p you can ask them to take one out and take a picture with one for $5. We considered this a steal since my son LOVES bugs and this one in particular. It was a surprise to find such an opportunity!
All in all, this is a great area to get some fresh ocean air, explore, and take the little ones. It’s where we saw a ton of families and the pace felt slower and more relaxed.
erin’s tip
At the Kaiyukan, put your bags away in lockers at the beginning so you can stroll through hands free (but keep your wallet for the cafe and phone on you for pics) and use the bathroom before you begin.
Also, give yourself some time to get lost in the area and explore. You never know what local family owned restaurants you may find yourself or your may just discover the bug of your dreams!