One must-do item in our Kansai itinerary was a trip to the Osaka Kaiyukan. The first time we visited was more than five years ago, and we enjoyed it so much that we spent the entire day there.
Even though we had already seen everything then (not just once, but twice!), we simply had to go back again.
Compared to other aquariums we’ve visited in Singapore, Sydney and Hong Kong, there’s just something extra special about the immersive experience at the Kaiyukan.
It’s like scuba diving in the deep seas, without having to mess around with all the bulky equipment. Not that we’ve ever scuba dived before, but that’s how I imagine it would be like.
Buying Tickets
I was disappointed that they had stopped selling the Osaka Kaiyu Ticket, which allowed users to not only enter the aquarium but also acted as a one day pass for the metro system.
More importantly, you get to keep the unbelievably kawaii ticket as a souvenir. I’m not ashamed to say that it’s a permanent fixture in my wallet. It never fails to put a smile on my face whenever I catch a glimpse.
The Kaiyukan is a very popular attraction. Not only to tourists, but also to local residents. So much so that they’ve introduced a timed entry system, similar to many popular theme parks.
To avoid disappointment, I bought advance e-tickets a few days before our flight to Osaka. Purchasing them from the official aquarium website was relatively straightforward, but required an initial member registration step.
To start, just click on “Buy tickets online for no waiting in line” in the bottom right corner of the home page, and follow the onscreen instructions.
After registration and login, click on “Kaiyukan Advance e-ticket” and choose your desired date, time and number of people. The website will show timeslots in 15 minute intervals, and indicate which are available, selling fast or sold out.
Once you’ve paid online, you’ll receive an email containing entrance QR codes. In addition, you can also login to your member account page and download the PDF e-ticket, which contain the same QR codes.
Getting There
Armed with our e-tickets, we made our way to the Kaiyukan using the efficient Osaka metro system.
We walked from Fraser Residence Nankai to Namba Station, took the Midosuji (red) Line to Hommachi Station, changed to the Chuo (green) Line and reached the Osakako Station in slightly more than half and hour.
There were ample signs pointing the way to the correct exit. Alternatively, simply tag along the numerous families with kids that are almost guaranteed to be headed there.
Once you’re out of the station, look up and scan the skies for a giant Ferris wheel. You can’t miss it. The Kaiyukan building is just next door.
As you get closer, you’ll start seeing obvious signs that it’s nearby. Such as these beautifully painted flower pots featuring the various stars of the aquarium.
Timed Entry
When we arrived just after 10:30am, there was a long queue at the ticketing counter. A prominent sign out front stated that the earliest available tickets were for entry at 2:00pm!
Buying advance e-tickets proved to be a wise decision.
In case you’re wondering, they’re very strict with the timed entry protocol. As we were waiting our turn, we saw staff manning the gates turning away people who had tickets for later timings. Many groups must have been trying their luck.
There was a huge empty plaza just outside the aquarium building, where numerous groups of school children were patiently assembled. Their excitement of being out on excursion was plainly written on their faces.
It would have been easy for chaos to ensue, but the teachers accompanying them did a great job in maintaining discipline. They took turns to enter in single file, holding hands two-by-two.
A life-sized replica of a whale shark greeted us as we walked up the steps to the main door. It did double duty as a photo taking spot, as well as a live feeding station. Confused? Move the slider on the image below to see what I mean.
A large wall map provided highlights of the various marine creatures in the aquarium. Starting from the seas off Japan, the winding path from the top of the building down to the ground floor mimics a clockwise journey around the Pacific Ocean.
Feeding Times
Before we started our slow trek downwards, I checked the Kaiyukan website to get the feeding times happening throughout the day.
Since we entered after 10:30am, we missed the Sea Lion session. It wasn’t a big loss since we had caught it previously. The sea lions were highly entertaining. So, if you haven’t seen it before, I would strongly recommend it.
Penguins
We were just in time to see the penguins grabbing lunch at 11:00am. They seemed to know when it was scheduled to start, as many of them were pacing around, eagerly anticipating their fill of fish.
Most of them were quite patient, though some of the more needy ones were physically harassing the human feeders that were doing the food distribution.
But eventually everyone got fed, with some penguins promptly dozing off while others jumped into the water for a leisurely swim.
Seals
We had some time before the 11:50am dolphin session and hung around the vicinity, killing time by watching the graceful seals glide underwater. It was a stark contrast to their awkward movements on land.
One particular seal, let’s call him Watanabe-san, appeared to be quite anti-social. Instead of frolicking around with his pals, he decided to camp out in a quiet corner.
Initially, we were worried that he was sick as he remained floating upside down for quite some time. But it turned out that he just likes it that way, as we recognised him happily swimming around, also upside down.
Dolphins
Knowing that there would be a mob of people watching the dolphin show, we found a good vantage point and camped out 10 minutes before the scheduled start time.
It was good that we did, because crowd got bigger and bigger as the minutes ticked down. As The Wife is a huge dolphin fan, so this was her must-see event.
They really worked hard for their food, executing a wide range of dynamic jumps and tricks. One was particularly friendly and made sure to provide fan service by approaching the glass and saying “Hi!”
Crustaceans
After the show ended, we spent another hour or so meandering down the cylindrical path. Making stops along the way whenever something caught our attention.
Like this slipper lobster clinging on to a column of oysters. It blended right in and we only managed to figure out what it was upon closer inspection.
Another crusty crustacean that we spent some time staring at were the spider crabs. I don’t know why, but their deliberate movements were hypnotic and mesmerising.
We weren’t the only ones drawn to them, because a large group of Koreans also hung around for a while. They were attracted for different reasons though, because I heard “mashisoyo” several times during their conversation.
Small Fishes
Along the way, we found Nemo.
As well as the smallest eels we’ve ever seen. They looked like a platoon of sea worms standing at attention, but their intense eyes gave them away. That, as well as the explanatory sign beside the tank.
It took us around two hours to stroll down all eight stories. By the time the ground floor was reached, we were starting to get hungry.
Invisible return entry stamps were stamped on our wrists, and we walked over to the Tempozan Marketplace next door. There were many eateries there, and it was hard to decide what to eat.
Eventually, lunch was a delicious doteyaki and curry don from a stall inside the Naniwa Kuishinbo Yokocho food street. After that was a ride in the giant Tempozan Ferris wheel before heading back into the Kaiyukan.
Round Two
During our morning session, we noticed that there were rubber stamp stations littered throughout the aquarium. They were so cute that we couldn’t help stamping them on blank pieces of A4 paper that were in my travel folder.
Before starting our second round, The Wife noticed that the gift shop was selling a special notebook that could be used to collect all the stamps.
The “Kaiyukan Explorer’s Club Stamp Note” was clearly targeting kids. It came with a pretty lanyard with cartoon illustrations of various marine creatures, and could be worn around the neck.
Take our money, please.
Stamp Note
Now we had a mission. Find all 11 stamps and collect them in the notebook.
All of them were clearly listed in sequence, and I’m happy to report that the mission was successfully accomplished.
It goes without saying that the Wife’s favourite was the dolphin, followed by the spider crab. Mine was the whale shark, with Watanabe-san coming in a close second.
Whale Shark
While diligently hunting for the stamps, I made sure to catch the whale shark feeding session. It was generically listed as “Fish in pacific ocean”, but what gave it away was the whale shark icon, similar to our stamp note version.
Start time was 3:00pm. We found seats right in front of the huge 9 metre-deep multi-story central tank, and planted ourselves there 15 minutes early.
The wait didn’t feel like a wait at all, as we watched the whale shark elegantly glide around, accompanied by manta rays and other fish, big and small.
Its tempo increased only marginally during meal time, as divers slowly fed fish into its vacuum cleaner-like mouth. At times, it almost felt like they would get sucked in, if not for the furious backpaddling.
For me, this was the highlight of our entire visit. Being able to watch it in real life was, in itself, already worth the price of admission.
Invertebrates
Having achieved our main goals — The Wife’s dolphin show and my whale shark feeding — we leisurely completed our second circuit of the aquarium.
Stopping along the way to take interesting videos, like this octopus taking what I assume to be very deep breaths.
And this tank of serene jellyfish, quietly going about their day.
Round Three?
After 5:00pm, the aquarium undergoes a transformation and switches to “dark mode”, so to speak. We experienced it during our previous visit, and it was truly an amazing experience.
This time, we opted not to stay late and headed back to Namba for a bit of shopping and an early dinner.
As our magical marine adventure came to an end, we were reminded, once again, how much fun the Osaka Kaiyukan was.
It more than lived up to our expectations, and was a great way to mark the start our Kansai vacation.
Kansai Winter 2024
Gion to Ginkakuji via the Philosopher’s Path
The 5.7-kilometre walk was quite an achievement for us, and easily one of the longest we’ve ever completed while on vacation.
Elegant tofu kaiseki at Rengetsujaya in Higashiyama
Tofu may seem like a humble ingredient but centuries — no, millennia — of refinement in Kyoto has elevated it to a delicacy.
There’s no such thing as too much yuzu at Yuzugen Pontocho
Yuzu sake, yuzu daikon, yuzu kosho, yuzu gyoza, yuzu nabe, yuzu ramen. When you’re a yuzu addict, it’s never enough.
Relaxing day trip to Uji from Kyoto
Uji feels like the kind of place that’s best enjoyed on a slower pace, and that’s exactly what we did. Here are the places we visited during the six hours that we were there.
You can never have too much matcha in Uji
As they say in Japan: “When in Uji, drink matcha.” So we travelled to the mecca of matcha, to see if it was possible to overdose on the magical green powder.
The Wife walked into Ousu no Sato and almost didn’t make it out
I could tell that she was very pleased with her purchases, and I was pleased that she was pleased.
A peaceful stroll in the Byōdō-in temple grounds
There are two main reasons why tourists travel to Uji. The first is for matcha, and the second is to see the temple stamped on all Japanese ¥10 coins.
Heartwarming matcha soba by the old folks of Torikiku
The broth had a clear citrusy note of sudachi that shone through, plus something else that we couldn’t quite identify. Whatever it was, it made the dashi taste extra special.
Katsukura: Sometimes, all you need is some deep-fried pork
Whenever we find ourselves in Japan, our number one pick for crispy and juicy tonkatsu is invariably Katsukura from Kyoto.
Kawaii temari sushi for breakfast at OMO5 Kyoto Gion
Apparently, its petite size and easy-to-bite form factor makes it the ideal choice for geishas who don’t want to smudge their makeup.
Waking up to the smell of freshly-baked bread
The next morning, as dawn approached and sunlight started peeking through the blinds, we were awoken by an enticing and unmistakable scent.
OMO5 Kyoto Gion is great, but not so good on the knees
It’s right in the heart of the historic geisha district and offers a good combination of price, location and size. But if you have bad knees, stay clear of the Double Zashiki Tatami Room.
Catching the Kyo-train Garaku from Osaka to Kyoto
There are many ways to travel between the two cities by train, but the most beautiful and elegant one must surely be the Kyo-train Garaku rapid limited express.
Nihonshu bingo at Yamanaka Sake Ekimaru in Umeda
We were only halfway through our Japan trip, and I had already managed to move my progress bar from 36% to 53%. Crossing the halfway mark felt like a significant milestone.
The complete Club Level experience at Ritz Carlton Osaka
When travelling to a foreign land, hotels are usually just places to spend the night. But sometimes, they can be destinations in their own right.
Ritz Carlton Osaka: Camping out at the Club Lounge for all our meals
I had booked one night in a club level room, which included access to the legendary club lounge. And for the next 24 hours, all our meals were sorted.
Fancy champagne high tea at Ritz Carlton Osaka
Checking into a hotel is typically a mundane affair, except when you book a room with Club Lounge access at the Ritz Carlton in Osaka.
Sushi Sakaba Sashisu was so good, we had to go twice
Whenever hippos get hungry, they sneak off to the nearest izakaya and scarf down some nigiri sushi, together with copious amounts of sake.
The oishii asagohan at Yawaragi in Shinsaibashi
At night, Yawaragi is your typical salaryman izakaya. But at the break of dawn, it transforms into an atypical breakfast spot, famous for tamago dashimaki prepared à la minute.
Going down the gachapon rabbit hole at #C-pla+
I sumimasen-ed my way inside and found a sea of gachapon machines. Wall-to-wall and three storeys high, there must have been hundreds of them packed into that small space.
