Tuesday morning we woke bright and early to start an adventure and fun-filled day. The group piled into a jumbo taxi and headed for the Osaka Panasonic Center.
A friendly guide lead us around living spaces scene displays made entirely out of Panasonic products. We were shown state of the art kitchens, plush living rooms, eco-friendly bathrooms, and even had the opportunity to sit and watch a short movie in audio visual experience theater that made our jaws drop. The group was then lead to a showroom and shown some of “today” Panasonic technology and then compared it to the even more advanced technology of “tomorrow.” We were wowed by a giant television screen that was a mirror that responded to movement in order to provide a specialized fitness routine. We ended the tour by be challenged to improve our eco-friendliness. We each chose several things we could do in order to help our planet and then were each given an Eco Action Stage Card to keep.
After saying goodbye to our nice guides we were all very hungry.
After saying goodbye to our nice guides we were all very hungry.
Being true Americans we decided to stop in at a local McDonald’s restaurant. (Check out the photos in our Photo Gallery.) After eating hamburgers and French fries, we all agreed that Japanese McDonald’s is definitely better than American McDonald’s.
Next we continued to ride in a jumbo taxi to Osaka Castle. When we arrived we went up to the eighth floor observation deck and were able to look out over beautiful Osaka City. Osaka Castle also included a museum which we toured. The group was able to see historical artifacts, a full-scale replica of The Golden Tea Room, and an assortment of videos. After buying souvenirs in the gift shop, we were off to Universal Studios Japan.
As we entered Universal Studios Japan we were welcomed by many of our favorite characters. After walking through the streets a bit we discovered, what would become the most popular ride among the group, Hollywood Dreams. After four rides on this fast-paced musical roller coaster, we continued on to The Land of Oz. We enjoyed a shortened Japanese-English version of Wicked that had Kelsey singing along. The group continued on to join young riders in a turn around the carousel. Next pictures were taken with plastic Dorothy and her companions. Soon after, we hurried along to the Jurassic Park ride. The group was soaked by dinosaurs and continued to browse through a close gift shop. We continued through the streets of New York to the Spiderman ride. Every person in the group loved the ride including Tamami and the group went a second time. After a quick stop at Hard Rock Café and a snack stop at a convenience store, we said our goodbyes to Universal Studio Japan.
We made our way back to our Japanese home, Swissotel in Osaka, and had a full twenty minutes before we headed out for dinner. We enjoyed a dinner of Shabu-Shabu, thin strips of beef which we dipped into a boiling pot of broth to cook, and vegetables. (See Photo Gallery.) After devouring thirteen trays of shabu-shabu, the group enjoyed assorted desserts which included ice-cream sandwiches, ice-cream with sauce, and fried ice-cream. We were stuffed. We all walked through the crowded streets of Osaka back to the hotel where we fell into a delicious bed and had sweet dreams of the upcoming adventures.
Next we continued to ride in a jumbo taxi to Osaka Castle. When we arrived we went up to the eighth floor observation deck and were able to look out over beautiful Osaka City. Osaka Castle also included a museum which we toured. The group was able to see historical artifacts, a full-scale replica of The Golden Tea Room, and an assortment of videos. After buying souvenirs in the gift shop, we were off to Universal Studios Japan.
As we entered Universal Studios Japan we were welcomed by many of our favorite characters. After walking through the streets a bit we discovered, what would become the most popular ride among the group, Hollywood Dreams. After four rides on this fast-paced musical roller coaster, we continued on to The Land of Oz. We enjoyed a shortened Japanese-English version of Wicked that had Kelsey singing along. The group continued on to join young riders in a turn around the carousel. Next pictures were taken with plastic Dorothy and her companions. Soon after, we hurried along to the Jurassic Park ride. The group was soaked by dinosaurs and continued to browse through a close gift shop. We continued through the streets of New York to the Spiderman ride. Every person in the group loved the ride including Tamami and the group went a second time. After a quick stop at Hard Rock Café and a snack stop at a convenience store, we said our goodbyes to Universal Studio Japan.
We made our way back to our Japanese home, Swissotel in Osaka, and had a full twenty minutes before we headed out for dinner. We enjoyed a dinner of Shabu-Shabu, thin strips of beef which we dipped into a boiling pot of broth to cook, and vegetables. (See Photo Gallery.) After devouring thirteen trays of shabu-shabu, the group enjoyed assorted desserts which included ice-cream sandwiches, ice-cream with sauce, and fried ice-cream. We were stuffed. We all walked through the crowded streets of Osaka back to the hotel where we fell into a delicious bed and had sweet dreams of the upcoming adventures.
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