Oasis 21- A Spaceship in Sakae

May 25, 2014

Oasis 21- A Spaceship in Sakae

Most people who visit Sakae have been to Oasis 21 (Sakae Station, head towards the bus terminal!), but you may know it by some other name. I personally referred to this structure as “that UFO looking thing in Sakae” for quite some time- I am not renowned for my ability to remember things.

Other names: “the Sakae Spaceship,” and of course “that white and glass thing with water on the top near the TV tower.”

 

“Spaceship Aqua” at Oasis 21

Oasis 21 opened October 11th 2002, and the design was intended to resemble a spaceship, specifically, a spaceship covered in water. Why? I am not really sure, but there must be a reason, right? If you have not already guessed, the top of Oasis 21 is covered in water, and is a great place to take a date for an early evening stroll. There is a great view of “Central Park,” all the way down almost to Osu, and the Nagoya Television Tower, and you can look down on the cleverly named “Field of Green” between the Oasis 21 structure and the Aichi Arts Museum. The Field of Green is a great spot to chill on the grass, yes real grass in Nagoya (!), and people watch or read a book.

Shopping at Oasis 21

In the complex below the spaceship covered in water, you will find shopping. Very little of this shopping will interest most of us, but currently there is a: Starbucks, McDonald’s, sushi bar (pretty good and easy to order in), Chinese restaurant (hard to order in, but good), Baskin & Robbins Ice Cream, clothes store or two, shoe shop, an NHK character shop (interesting way to spend a bit of time), and a selection of other shops that change on the occasion.

You can find more information about which shops are in the facility on their website. 

Event Space at Oasis 21

The open space in the middle of the complex is designated as multipurpose, and has been the site World Cosplay Summits, dozens of  hip-hop dance competitions, untold concerts by the Nagoya City Fire Brigade Band,and a wide variety of other events and exhibitions.  This is a popular spot for various exhibitions, festivals, concerts, and my favorite is the yearly haunted house-which I have never entered, but plan to someday when I can screw up the courage…. I have heard those teen girls screaming, and it must look like chainsaw massacre in there!

 Morning Farmers Market at Oasis 21

If you are looking for a recurring excuse to check out the spaceship in Sakae, why not head down on a Saturday morning and do some shopping at the Morning Farmers Market. This market features locally grown foods sold by the people who grow it, and you can get some pretty good deals there. The market runs every Saturday, from 8:30 to 11:00.

Imagine the morning. You get up, trudge down to the market and do some shopping, and then you follow it up with a cup at Starbucks, conveniently located within sight of the market, while you watch the people wander around Oasis 21. Sounds good, right?

 

• Photo: “Oasis21 Nightview 1” by Junichi  – CC BY-SA 3.0
• Photo: “Oasis 21 01” by Hide-sp – CC BY-SA 3.0
• Photo: “Oasis 21 – Spaceship Aqua – 02” by JKT-c – CC BY-SA 3.0
• Photo: “Oasis 21 – Spaceship Aqua – 01” by JKT-c – CC BY-SA 3.0