An Indoor Marketplace and the Osaka Aquarium

After Kyoto, we made our way to Osaka for a few days. Osaka is known for it's covered markets (one being the longest in the world). We went to Kuromon Ichiba Market near Nippombashi station (where we were staying, not far from Dotonbori) which boasts great colored ceiling windows. There was a day of rain in Osaka while we were there, which made a walk through the covered market a great way to spend an afternoon.

For food, we decided to pop into a tiny spot off one end of the market. It was quiet inside when we sat down, but packed by the time we were finished up. We ordered some amazing udon noodle dishes. One was made with beef and fried tofu, which used to be an off-menu, locals only request. The noodles were so thick and the broth incredibly delicious. Udon like this quickly won me over from a ramen-lover to an udon-lover. Such a great way to warm up from the cold and wet rain! 

We also popped into this covered market one evening to bring home dessert. There were two lines and multiple stanchions for an opportunity to buy Uncle Rikuro's cheesecake, notably the best cheesecake in Japan. We brought a cheesecake back to our Airbnb for us to share. It wasn't like our American cheesecake. Instead of being dense, it was incredibly light and fluffy. It was so fluffy that when they stamp it with their logo on the top, it bounces back. It was so good, we ate half the cheesecake for dessert, and the other half for breakfast the next morning.

 

Osaka was the last city on our itinerary, so it was nice to take it easy and visit whatever we felt like doing that day. In Tokyo, there was a ton of sightseeing to do, making our days jam-packed with going from place to place. Another rainy day activity was the Osaka Aquarium. It was a very interesting layout, but I ended up loving it because the guided path of the aquarium made it so that you could see every angle of every tank. In the center of the building was a large tank that took up multiple stories. As you made your way up the different floors, you saw the stingrays and sharks from every level. It was incredible! I love anything that can make me feel so small.