On our last night in Osaka, we took a final stroll down our local electric avenue and stopped in at a sashimi and tempura joint packed with locals. These more popular local hangouts rarely have veggie options, but we got lucky here and there was enough tofu & tempura veggies for Tez and fried chicken for me to guarantee a great meal.

A little further on we went into the tiny bar whose only signs read “Coffee. Whiskey. Dogs.” Turns out that’s just what they did, have a coffee or a whiskey while playing with one of the three dogs in the narrow but cool space. We did a dog cafe!

On our walk home we witnessed the only argument or altercation we’ve seen on this trip, with an older man berating a younger man on a bike riding through the avenue. He wouldn’t let up, and onlookers were so stunned at the outburst they froze and stared at the angry man. A far cry from what we’d expect in our own city, where people tend to put their head down and pretend like nothing is happening.

Today is our travel day to Kyoto, and we’ll be meeting up with a friend of mine in the evening, but our train isn’t until the afternoon so we stashed our bags at the train station and took a trip to the Osaka Aquarium. While I was wary at first (I kinda wanted to go see a castle I’d visited 8 years ago) the aquarium totally blew us away – easily the best we’ve visited. A huge building with tanks arranged by region, and a single spiralling path downwards that leads us to the ocean floor, taking in the gorgeous marine life as we descend. Otters, capybaras and dolphins inhabit the upper levels, hammerhead sharks and sting rays the lower, while tropical fish, giant crabs and luminescent jellyfish fill out the rest – everything was gorgeously presented. A stunning farewell to Osaka.