Dotonbouri, Osaka

Obviously, I fixed the photo problem. I was using Photobucket to upload pictures, but now I'm just doing it directly from Blogger. Anyway, this is a photo of a restaurant called the Kani Dojo (Crab Dojo) in Dotonbouri, Osaka. It's been around for a long time and is often referenced in Japanese pop-culture, especially anime and movies set in Osaka. The crab above the doorway is mechanical; its legs and eyes are constantly moving around.

As for this monstrosity, this is the Don Kihote store, which is one street over from the Kani Dojo. Really, it's just a huge store full of junk, a lot like a dollar store, only much, much bigger. The glowing rings around the mascot of the store are actually part of a ferris wheel that can be accessed from inside of the store. Don Kihote sells all sorts of things are fairly affordable prices, and if you're looking for something ridiculous, you're guaranteed to find it there.