The 9th KIX Dragonboat Festival gets underway at the stretch of water at the Kansai International Airport. The race was a one-day affair and I was paddling with a team from Sydney to help them make up numbers. We made it as far as the semi-finals in the two events we entered and everyone had fun!

Our team ambassadors, Matilda and Roo, who were very popular with the Japanese teams.

Dragonboats heading towards the finish line.

Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan – one of the city’s main attractions.

The star of the aquarium, Mr Whale Shark, whom everyone flocks to see and take photos of.

So apparently these are the kinds of jellyfish that will end up on the tables of Chinese banquet dinners.

Milking the popularity of the whale shark through merchandise such as these square-shaped fans.

Or maybe you might want to take a magnet home.

Tiny erasers shaped in the likes of the sea creatures.

Osaka Castle (大阪城) is a worth a visit for a cultural and historical take on the city.

Can’t get enough of all that delicious confectionary in Japan – you’ll find many of them at the basement level of all big Japanese department stores like Takashimaya, Daimaru and Isetan. And yes, you can take that Pooh Bear cup home!

 
Land of Soft Serve