AQUARIUMS · Japan
Every trip has one free day too few. These 10 aquarium visits justify the slot — priced and timed so you can decide in minutes and get back to the fun part.
Full-day North Okinawa tour from Naha with Churaumi Aquarium, Kouri Island, Nago Pineapple Park cart ride, and Cape Manzamo.
“Great trip. Very simple and yet we saw a lot! And it was well organized.”
Tokyo’s Art Aquarium Museum GINZA blends goldfish, lighting, music, and scent inside Ginza Mitsukoshi. Plan about 1 hour.
“the music playing in the background made you be in one with the Art”
GPS audio bus tour in Okinawa with Churaumi Aquarium, Ryukyu Village, Manza Cape, and a sea-view drink at Banta Cafe.
“The tour guide was barely understandable, partly because of the mask he always wore. His English skills were pretty poor. His monotonous way of speaking was also a pain. We didn't get any important info!”
A calm Tokyo visit to Sumida Aquarium, with chair seating, breeder chats on penguins, eels, and goldfish, plus cafe time and lunch.
Sunshine Aquarium sits on a rooftop in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, with water and greenery plus close-up Penguins in the Sky action for $16.
Visit Kobe Urban Aquarium AQUARIUM×ART átoa, explore 8 zones with 100 species, and watch laser shows inside a giant spherical tank.
One-day Okinawa bus tour: Churaumi Aquarium, glass boat ride, Bise Fukugi Tree Road, Mihama American Village, about $61.
“The Aquarium was amazing although more time could be allocated to American Village”
Visit Ginza’s Art Aquarium, where goldfish art meets light, sound and fragrance. Timed e-ticket, 1 to 2 hours near Tokyo Station.
“This is a very interesting and unique aquarium. It is combination of an art museum and an aquarium. I found this to be wonderful experience.”
Enoshima Aquarium ticket for Sagami Bay and Pacific Ocean exhibits, jellyfish, deep-sea creatures, and seasonal events near Enoshima.
“Good exhibits but they were apparently closing early for a private event and this wasn’t shared in advance so we had to leave early before seeing all the exhibits.”
Kyoto Aquarium in Umekoji Park: dolphin shows, penguins, giant salamanders and a satoyama scene. One-day ticket, $16 value.
“Experience was average. Entry after ticket purchase was good.”
Pick the kind of day first. The tour comes second.
