What I was looking forward to most on this visit to Shizuoka Municipal Nihondaira Zoo was seeing the adorable star animals, the red pandas! The zoo is very well designed. In addition to observing the habits of various animals up close, there are also many exhibit spaces suitable for families with children. The red pandas were, of course, the biggest attraction for me. Their round bodies, distinct black-and-white facial markings, and nimble little paws made every movement adorable. Watching them explore and move around their habitat—sometimes looking around curiously and sometimes showing their playful side—made me immediately reach for my camera to capture the cute moment.
Shizuoka Municipal Nihondaira Zoo | Review by Linda Liao
Other Reviews by Linda Liao
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Toyosu Market
To avoid further deterioration, the aging Tsukiji Market, known as the “kitchen” feeding Tokyo’s people, was moved to Toyosu in 2018. Along with improving safety, observational tour routes were set up, making it easy for visitors to enter the market.
Ever since Tsukiji Market moved to Toyosu, I had wanted to find an opportunity to visit. This time, I went with friends on a weekend morning. What we were looking forward to most, of course, was checking out the sushi restaurants inside the market and enjoying plenty of fresh sashimi and nigiri sushi. Toyosu Market covers a large area and is divided into sections for wholesale seafood, intermediate wholesale seafood, fruits and vegetables, and more. Most of the restaurants are concentrated on the third floor of the Intermediate Wholesale Market Building, though there are also shops to explore in other areas. If you arrive earlier, you may have a chance to watch the lively tuna auction through the observation windows. However, 5:30 a.m. is just too brutal for night owls like us. Even thinking about it feels exhausting, so simply coming for sushi is also a great option.
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DMM Kariyushi Aquarium
Located just a 20-minute drive from Naha Airport, DMM Kariyushi Aquarium opened in 2020 in the ever-popular "Toyosaki Town" area, home to beaches, resorts, and shopping facilities. The aquarium is designed around the concept of providing "zero-distance wonder and immersive experiences”, so you can get even closer to beauty of nature and marine life via innovative displays.
For our final stop before leaving Okinawa, we specifically planned to shop for souvenirs at iias Okinawa Toyosaki. We never expected to find an aquarium hidden inside the mall, adding an unexpected surprise to our shopping trip! The biggest feature of DMM Kariyushi Aquarium is how it combines digital technology, light projections, and marine life exhibits to create a dreamlike, futuristic underwater world. In addition to seeing colorful tropical fish and marine animals up close, there are also various carefully designed immersive exhibit spaces. The jellyfish area was my favorite. Watching the translucent, umbrella-like jellyfish drift leisurely through the tube-shaped tanks, gently moving their bells and long, slender tentacles with the current, was graceful and rhythmic. They looked like dancers waving colorful ribbons underwater, and I couldn't take my eyes off their light, elegant movements~
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Kanazawa Fumuroya "Oyatsu Fu"
Fumuroya, a Kagafu manufacturer with a history of over 150 years since its establishment in 1865, continues to uphold traditional methods, flavors, and skills while creating new gluten-based products. They produce various Fu dishes and gluten-based confectioneries.
While walking through the old streets of Kanazawa, it's hard not to be drawn to the warm, traditional Japanese noren curtains at the entrance of Kanazawa Fumuroya and want to step inside for a look. It turns out to be a long-established Kaga-fu shop founded in 1865, with more than 160 years of history, specializing in a variety of traditional fu products. In addition to colorful, charmingly shaped decorative fu, the store also carries various fu products that can easily be added to miso soup or clear soup. One of the most distinctive items is the baked fu snack, which has a light, crispy texture and gives this traditional ingredient a new flavor. The signature “fu confection” hides dried ingredients inside a cute baked fu shell. Just add hot water, and it turns into an appealing and flavorful soup. It's creative and also makes a distinctive Kanazawa souvenir.
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