Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium 沖縄美ら海水族館

The week before my last in Japan, I and six friends visited Okinawa. In our few days there we took a bus tour, which allowed us to see quite a bit. Here I am, beginning to write about it months after the fact. To add to your readerly frustration, I say to my non-existent audience, I will tell my tale of Okinawa out of order.

I begin the tale at a stop on our bus tour: Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in Motobu, Okinawa. It is the second largest aquarium in the WORLD. And I did not enter it.

This is not a great picture...

This dolphin is pretty sweet though.

サメ！

No, I found myself suddenly fretting about the costs of omiyage and the like, and having pulled out a sum of money which I told myself would last until the day I left Japan, I decided to relinquish my ticket (which was only 2000 yen, but you know how crushing sudden money panic can be). While my friends slipped through the automatic doors and into to a land of marine wonders, I decided to explore the periphery. Luckily for me, and the other cheap-o's of the world, there is more than enough to explore in the time constraints leveled by a bus tour. There is much besides the Aquarium, which is just one part of the Ocean Expo Commemorative National Government Park in which it is located.

For one, the awesome topiary displays will keep you occupied for a good while...

The Osaka Aquarium

Read in Japanese

 

You may have heard a lot about the Kaiyukan; everyone seems to want to go there. I think it lived up to its reputation, and recommend a look, but it is quite expensive (2000 yen). I enjoyed the way the exhibit was set up, with the tanks extending through different levels. If it`s too crowded in one area, you may be able to descend a floor and see the same creatures there. 

The gift shops were also really nice. They have little shark forks and everything. I recommend the sweet pins. 

Besides that, it`s has a wonderful view over the bay, the building itself is quite cool, and there is a ferris wheel and butt-load of shops and restaurants right beside it (the area is called Tempozan Harbor Village). 

The buildings and murals were amazing...

...as was the view

The ferris wheel costs 700 yen to ride, and I can`t say if it's worth it since I didn`t go myself, but the restaurants were a nice end to our sea exploration. There was curry, burgers, ice cream, yakisoba, gyuudon... You should be able to satisfy your appetite. There were also clothing shops, a ninja store (really), and more. 

The aquarium is only about a five minute walk from the nearest station. A great place to spend half of your day!

大阪海遊館

英語で読む

この文章は、Lang－８のwashiさん、Ruiさん、Masamuneさん、

shuichiさん、hilobayさん、Austimさんのおかげで、

もっといい文章になりました。添削はこちらへ！

大阪海遊館を、ご存知ですか？みんなが行きたいところのようですね。


私にとって、海遊館は評判どおりすばらしい場所でした。見に行けばきっと楽しい時間をすごせますが、入場料は２０００円でなのでちょっと高いです。（でもやっぱり、どこでも水族館は高いですね。）

ひとつの水槽が大きくて、何階にも広がっているところが、私には 好きでした。もしもある階が混んでいて、水槽の中にある魚などが見られなかったら、一階下がると、同じ水槽を見ることができますよ。

おみやげ屋さんには、小さいサメの形のフォークなどがあって、とってもいいと思いました。このすてきなピンは、いかがでしょうか？

ほかにも、湾の景色や、海遊館の建物自体もすばらしくて、そしてそのとなりには大観覧車も、さらには多数のお店やレストランまであります。この辺は、天保山ハーバービレッジというところです。

すばらしい建物も壁画も・・・

このすばらしい景色と同様に・・・

大観覧車に乗るには、７００円かかります。自分で体験しなかったから、大観覧車に乗る価値があるかどうかは言えませんが、海遊館を見た後レストランに行って、満足でした。カレー、バーガー、アイスクリーム、焼きそば、牛丼。ここに来て満足できない人はまずいないでしょう。服の店や、忍者の店（本当）、色々なものがあります。

海遊館は、最寄駅から歩いて五分しかかかりません。半日を楽しく過ごすにはとってもいい場所ですよ。あなたも機会があれば、ぜひ見に行ってください！