The 15 Best Aquariums in Japan for Kids and Adults
Last Updated on August 24, 2024 by Kay
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Wondering what are the best aquariums to visit in Japan for people of all ages?
I’ve been a resident of Japan for fifteen years so far, and I’ve been to my fair share of aquariums. In my humble opinion, aquariums in Japan are some of the best in the world. They’re generally well-maintained and house creatures local to Japan as well as ones in and around other countries.
My daughter has loved visiting these aquariums ever since she was a baby and going to one is honestly one of her favorite things to do. And of course, I’m more than happy to take her because I adore aquariums as well!
In this article, I’ll share my top picks for aquariums in Japan that I’ve visited and would recommend to anyone — solo travelers, couples, and especially families with kids.
Note that some hands-on experiences and touch pools have been closed due to COVID.
Table of Contents
The Best Aquariums in Tokyo
Tokyo has a number of aquariums in the heart of the city that are easily accessible by train. It’s also worth venturing out to see some impressive aquariums in the surrounding prefectures.
1. Tokyo Sea Life Park
This was the first aquarium I took my daughter to when she was a baby. Located in Kasai Rinkai Park, which alone is worth the visit for a break in nature, this aquarium is probably the least crowded in Tokyo and quite spacious. Notably, the aquarium boasts a massive 2,200-ton tank of bluefin tuna.
This is also the most affordable aquarium in Tokyo — at 700 yen, you’re getting serious bang for your buck (yay for your yen?).
I’ve written an article about my experience visiting Tokyo Sea Life Park with my daughter, so please feel free to take a look to know more!
Admission Cost: 700 yen for adults
2. Sumida Aquarium
Sumida Aquarium is located in Tokyo Skytree Town. It’s small but worth visiting if you’re going to Tokyo Skytree and have some time available, especially because it’s quite a beautiful aquarium with Japanese summer festival vibes.
The aquarium houses jellyfish, penguins, goldfish, and aquatic life native to the Ogasawara Islands.
Expect to spend about 1.5 hours here.
Admission Cost: 2500 yen for adults (tickets might sell out so it’s recommended to purchase them in advance)
(Note that Sumida Aquarium is one of the many attractions you can select to visit through Klook’s Greater Tokyo Pass. This pass covers entry to a certain number of popular attractions of your choice in Tokyo such as Tokyo Disney, all for one price. It sells out quite often, though.)
3. Maxell Aqua Park
This is a stunning aquarium conveniently located right next to Shinagawa Station. They have dolphin shows, jellyfish in aquariums lit up in various colors, seals, otters, penguins, stingrays, and more. There are also rides for little ones, such as a merry-go-round.
During summer, Maxell Aqua Park transforms into a Japanese summer festival with fireworks projected against the floors and walls.
(Maxell Aqua Park is one of the many attractions you can select through Klook’s Greater Tokyo Pass.)
Admission Cost: 2500 yen for adults
4. Sunshine Aquarium
Located in Sunshine City, a mall in Ikebukuro, Sunshine Aquarium is a nice aquarium to visit in the city. I didn’t have high expectations when I visited but I ended up being fairly impressed. (However, if you have limited time in Tokyo, this wouldn’t be my top pick among the aquariums mentioned in this article.)
Watching penguins swimming in the rooftop tanks with Tokyo’s tall office buildings in the background is really something. Among its many saltwater and freshwater creatures, it also has an impressive jellyfish tank as well as special exhibitions.
Expect to spend about 1.5 hours here.
Admission Cost: 2700 yen for adults (advanced reservations are required on weekends and holidays)
5. Enoshima Aquarium
Although located in Tokyo’s neighboring prefecture, Kanagawa, and a little out of the way, Enoshima Aquarium (called Enosui for short) is a nice aquarium to visit if you want to escape the city. You can also see Mount Fuji from the aquarium!
Enoshima Aquarium is not as busy as the aquariums in Tokyo and has lots of local fish and other creatures in huge tanks.
There’s a dolphin show, penguins, jellyfish, seals, river otters, and fish from Sagami Bay. For an additional fee, you can also feed animals such as capybara, sea lions, and fish, or touch a sea turtle. There’s lots to see and do, so expect to spend at least two hours here.
Admission Cost: 2800 yen for adults
(Enoshima Aquarium is one of the many attractions you can select through Klook’s Greater Tokyo Pass.)
6. Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise
Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise is a mix between an amusement park and an aquarium. They boast over 120,000 aquatic animals, including dolphins, belugas, polar bears, penguins, and jellyfish. The aquarium also has a dolphin show.
Interestingly, you can catch fish here and fry it up to eat (talk about fresh!).
(Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise is one of the many attractions you can select through Klook’s Greater Tokyo Pass.)
Admission Cost: 5700 yen for adults (one-day pass, note that the pass is 6000 yen during national holidays and busy periods) OR 3800 yen for a night pass (after 4 PM)
The Best Aquariums in Kyoto
There’s only one aquarium in Kyoto; however, it’s amazing and absolutely worth a visit.
7. Kyoto Aquarium
Kyoto is most known for its historic temples and shrines, but its aquarium is quite impressive as well! Kyoto Aquarium is quite new, having been built in 2012, and has a number of tanks housing freshwater and saltwater creatures. Notably, among local creatures, it also has seals, dolphins, and penguins.
Admission Cost: 2400 yen for adults (note that they issue tickets according to available time slots so you may want to buy your ticket in advance)
The Best Aquariums in Osaka
Osaka doesn’t have nearly as many large and popular aquariums as Tokyo, but they do house one aquarium that people from across the country and worldwide come to the city to see.
8. Kaiyukan Aquarium
This is probably one of the most famous aquariums in Japan, and it’s also the largest! Boasting a huge tank in the middle that spans four floors, Kaiyukan Aquarium has numerous aquatic species from the Pacific Ocean. But their claim to fame is its massive whale sharks.
You can take in the sight of the stunning whale sharks and other marine life as you walk from the eighth floor to the fourth floor. There are also other smaller tanks on the sides, a room for jellyfish, penguins, king crabs, and seals.
For an additional cost, you can view the whale sharks from the top of the tank.
I find that this aquarium can be quite busy during holiday periods (such as summer) but I’ve included it in the list because it’s so famous. (Personally, I don’t like visiting this aquarium often because it’s so busy, but if you haven’t been, definitely go!)
This aquarium is a little dark, so it can be scary for younger children (my child at age two did not like it).
Admission Cost: 2700 yen for adults (I highly recommend purchasing tickets in advance as you might be waiting for a while otherwise, especially since Kaiyukan has timed entry)
9. NIFREL
This is my personal favorite in the city. NIFREL is a bright, colorful, and beautiful mix between an aquarium and a zoo. They have various sizes of tanks housing numerous sea life and I find that due to this, it’s easy to find a tank that no one is looking at. It’s the perfect place if you don’t like crowds (so the opposite of Kaiyukan).
They also have a Siberian tiger, crocodiles, and an open area where land animals fly and roam about freely.
Admission Cost: 2200 yen for adults
The Best Aquariums in Kobe
10. ATOA
ATOA is an art aquarium with beautiful aquariums in rooms that have a theme, such as a cave, a forest, or Japan (my personal favorite). There are different colors, shapes, and images projected onto the floor in each room, making it an immersive experience you can’t get anywhere else.
Note that many of the rooms are dark, which scared my daughter when she was two years old.
Admission Cost: 2800 yen for adults
The Best Aquariums in Other Parts of Japan
11. Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium
This is probably one of the most famous aquariums in Japan, next to Kaiyukan in Osaka, and the second largest in the country. And similar to Kaiyukan, Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium is known for its whale sharks. In fact, you can find whale sharks in Okinawa’s waters and you can scuba dive or snorkel with them if you want.
It houses sea life local to Okinawa, such as dolphins, sea turtles, manatees, and manta rays, as well as deep sea creatures. They have dolphin shows, too.
The location of the aquarium is also perfect since it’s right along the water, providing lovely ocean views.
Admission Cost: 2180 yen for adults
12. Kushimoto Marine Park
I absolutely loved visiting Kushimoto Marine Park in Wakayama, a prefecture that borders Osaka and Nara. It’s probably among the least busy aquariums in this list but they have an impressive number of marine life.
The animals are taken care of and have plenty of space. It’s clean as well.
They have many sea turtles and if you’re lucky, you can hold a baby sea turtle, which was a highlight of my trip. They also have a really cool building (at an additional cost) where you can look out windows and see the local fish and other creatures in their natural habitat. It’s almost like being in a submarine! There’s a glass boat experience as well.
Fun fact: Kushimoto Marine Park was the first marine park in Japan!
Admission Cost: 2000 yen for adults
13. Adventure World
Located in Shirahama, Wakayama, Adventure World has a little bit of everything — a safari-like experience, a zoo, and aquariums that house sealife like penguins, seals, and several kinds of dolphins.
They have a spectacular dolphin and false killer whale show, one of the best I’ve seen in Japan, and introduce sea animals like walrus as well! (My daughter loved it!)
I’ve written an article about my experience visiting Adventure World so please have a read!
Admission Cost: 5300 yen for a full-day ticket for adults, 4000 yen for a half-day ticket for adults (the ticket site is in Japanese only. If you want to buy tickets in advance, you can do so through Klook but I had no issue getting tickets on the day)
14. Kyoto University Shirahama Aquarium
This is yet another aquarium in Wakayama (can you tell I really like Wakayama?).
Although small, this is a great aquarium to visit because it is not crowded and houses many unique sea creatures local to Shirahama. You can take your time to look at everything instead of feeling rushed, which my family enjoyed.
Note that this is not a big aquarium, so it’s likely you’ll be able to see everything in 30 minutes.
I’ve included my experience visiting Kyoto University Shirahama Aquarium in my article on Shirahama.
Admission Cost: 600 yen for adults
15. Kinosaki Marine World
Located a short bus ride away from the famous Kinosaki Onsen, Kinosaki Marine World is worth making a trip to if you’re staying in the historic onsen town.
Located along the coast, this aquarium was way bigger than I expected. It has several shows featuring dolphins, seals, sea lions, and penguins. Notably, they have a dolphin breeding tank and we were able to see a small baby dolphin with its mother. (It was so adorable and a highlight of our trip.)
I’ve included a section on this aquarium in my article about Kinosaki Onsen so please take a look!
Admission Cost: 2800 yen for adults
Wrap-up: The Best Aquariums in Japan
I hope this article on my favorite aquariums in Japan has been helpful for your trip planning. Whether you’re traveling with kids or an adult who loves admiring aquatic creatures, you’re bound to find a memorable aquarium in Japan that you’ll want to visit again.