I woke tired with the dawn but since my first goal didn’t open until ten I took the chance to slow down a bit and watch a movie. It was sublime albeit the movie not so much. Then I took two trains to the docklands to ride this:
It’s called Tempozan and for many years was the tallest Ferris Wheel in the world. KLS and I were out here back in 2017 but didn’t ride it since she gets scared of heights and I always wanted to return. The ride takes about 15 lazy minutes and provides great views for miles. Here’s me at the top:
My next destination was the Dotonbori canal district but – as if often do – I took the long way and walked after one train rather than catch both back. This led me to discover a lengthy covered shopping street in which I found a used game shop and bought an old Game Boy game! Which once again proves that you should always walk if you can 🙂
After a gourmet lunch…
I arrived at my second destination of the day:
That’s the Ebisu Tower, so named since the guy shown on the front is the god of fortune Ebisu (who is hanging out with the penguin mascot of the Don Quixote discount store).
This unusual Ferris Wheel sits riders in a car facing outwards (it spins 180 while loading) and also takes about 15 minutes to make a circuit. While the views weren’t great the wheel had a surprise for me: it’s a little bit scary! The carriages don’t hang, and mechanically rotate as they go around the curves. The led to judders and creaks that more than once reminded me it’s only been open 6 of its 15 years, being closed for mechanical reasons the rest of the time.
Here’s the view from the top:
I was laughing out loud like a fool most of this ride. I think it’s exhaustion catching up with me!
After a quick stop at the hotel my third goal for the day was only a short walk away:
That’s the Hep-5 Wheel, on the top of a shopping mall right in downtown Osaka. KLS and I rode this at night back in 2017, immediately before a memorable thunder storm, but today I got to ride it during the day. It’s taller than Ebisu but shorter than Tempozan (which speaks a lot for Tempozan’s height since this guy is built on top of the 7th floor!) and – surprise surprise – takes about 15 relaxing minutes to go around.
Here’s me at the top:
I very much enjoyed this one since I’ve been buzzing around the local streets every day and could plot my paths from above. It also afforded fantastic views of the nearby train station. However unlike the other two it had no commentary at all! Still worth a ride.
So three wheels in one day! They were all cheap (¥800, ¥500 and ¥600) and worth the trip. I’m now proud to say I’ve ridden three different wheels in the same day. I wonder how many others can claim that?
Tonight I pack for the train to Tokyo tomorrow, where the trip enters a new phase: otaku madness. Stay tuned…