Kaiyukan Aquarium is located in Tempozan Harbor Village in Minato Ward, near Osaka Bay. It opened in 1990 and was the largest aquarium in the world at that time. To this day, Kaiyukan remains in the top 3 largest aquariums in Japan and in the top 15 largest aquariums in the world. Today, let's explore this vast and historic aquarium together!
Address: Google Map
You can get here by train, take the Chuo Line towards Cosmo Square, get off at Osakako Station, and then walk about 500 meters to reach the aquarium.
Ticket prices vary depending on the visitor's age: 2700 JPY for those over 16 years old (3500 JPY on holidays) and free for children under 2 years old. Details about each price level are shown in the image below.
You can purchase tickets online (e-ticket) or buy them directly at the entrance. The wait time for buying tickets in person is usually quite long, so I recommend buying an e-ticket to save time.
You can check the ticket purchase link at HERE. Payment can be made via PayPay or Visa card. And please note that you should purchase the ticket 3-5 days before your planned visit to select an earlier entry time.
At the time of my visit, it was close to the Koinobori festival (the Japanese carp flag festival), and Kaiyukan was very creative by hanging flags shaped like marine creatures found in the aquarium, such as whales, sharks, stingrays, and more, outside the premises. It was really interesting 😀
You can arrive earlier than the entry time stated on your ticket to take photos around the aquarium's outdoor area before entering.
In front of the entrance, there will also be staff available to take a commemorative photo for you, and you'll receive a free 4×6 photo. If you like it, you can purchase a larger-sized photo at the counter next to it.
After entering the aquarium, there will be two paths, one on the left and one on the right. The path on the right leads to the entrance of the aquarium, while the one on the left is the exit. Unfortunately, I mistakenly took the exit path because I followed the direction of the giant shark model in front of me 😀
I turned back and explained to the staff at the entrance, and luckily, they kindly allowed me to re-enter. So, everyone, make sure not to make the same mistake I did and get confused 😀
To the right of the entrance, there is a path leading to the "Aqua Gate" – a transparent tunnel under the sea, where you can easily observe many different species of fish from various angles. This is also a great photo spot, so make sure not to miss it when you pass by.
After passing through the tunnel, there will be an escalator that takes you to the 8th floor, leading to the next exhibition called Japan Forest – Nihon no Mori.
This exhibition recreates a Japanese forest with various freshwater fish and water-dwelling creatures. I especially enjoyed watching the otters here – they’re so playful and adorable. You can watch them for a long time without getting bored 😀
After the Japanese Forest exhibit, you'll find the Aleutian Islands exhibit from Alaska and the Monterey Bay exhibit from California, where you can see seals living on the coastal cliffs.
We can also move forward to easily watch these seals swimming in the sea.
This area is quite deep, so if there are too many people standing around, you can continue to move down lower to get a better spot for photos.
The next area will be the Panama Bay and Ecuadorian Tropical Rainforest exhibits, featuring many strange-shaped fish that I saw for the first time.
Right next to this area is the exhibit recreating the harsh icy environment of Antarctica, where King Penguins live.
Here, there are also young penguins with a very unique brown fuzzy fur. These feathers are thick and provide excellent insulation, protecting them from the harsh cold weather in Antarctica. Additionally, this fur color blends with the rocky cliffs, helping them camouflage from predators. As they grow, they gradually shed this fur and develop the sleek, waterproof black-and-white feathers that we commonly see in adult King Penguins, which are ideal for swimming.
Next is the main aquarium of Kaiyukan, a gigantic tank located at the center of the aquarium, 9 meters deep, 34 meters long, and holding up to 5400 tons of water. This tank, called the Pacific Ocean, recreates life beneath the Pacific, featuring many giant fish species such as stingrays, sharks, and notably, the whale shark – the largest fish in the world today.
Additionally, at certain times, you can watch the staff dive to the bottom of the tank and feed the fish. I will provide the specific times and feeding areas in the image below. And don't forget to buy your tickets online to avoid waiting in line at HERE.
About halfway through the aquarium, there is a café/fast food area where you can take a break and have a snack before continuing your exploration.
Next, let's continue exploring the rest of the aquarium together!
The final aquarium, with the theme "Japan Deeps," features creatures that live at the bottom of the ocean, at depths of 200-400 meters. The highlight here is the giant Japanese spider crab, the largest crab in the world.
The giant Japanese spider crab.
In addition to the giant Japanese spider crab, the ocean floor is home to many fish species with very unusual shapes, which I saw for the first time.
And here ends the area with the aquariums in Kaiyukan. If you follow the signs, you'll reach the next area of the aquarium. If you haven't had a chance to take photos in the previous areas, you can take some with the giant aquarium located at the center before moving on to the new section.
Since flash photography is not allowed inside the aquarium, you can stand closer to the tanks to take advantage of the natural lighting, making it easier to capture great photos.
The next area of the aquarium is a newly built section, showcasing a variety of jellyfish in different shapes and sizes, all of which are incredibly beautiful to see.
The jellyfish are also housed in horizontal cylindrical tanks, with small lights shining up from below, creating a very artistic effect.
The next area of the aquarium is the Arctic-themed exhibit, where the highlight is the ringed seal – a species of earless seal that lives in the Arctic.
This is my picture every Monday morning 😀
The seal, with its adorable and humorous expressions, attracts a large crowd of people who stop to watch and enjoy its antics.
Right next to the Arctic area is the exhibit for the Southern Rockhopper penguins, known for their distinctive golden crest feathers. These creatures are also facing a decline in population and are listed in the Red List due to climate change and overfishing.
The final area of the aquarium is the exhibit on various types of coral reefs. This area has beautiful lighting, and there are plenty of spots perfect for taking photos.
The total time to explore the aquarium will take around 4-6 hours, including time for photos and breaks. So, you don't need to worry too much if you weren't able to get an early entry ticket.
Outside the exit, there is a souvenir shop as well as a Starbucks where you can shop or relax with a coffee with friends.
And with that, I've completed a full day exploring the Kaiyukan Aquarium in Osaka. I hope this article provides you with more information and a perspective on the attractions inside the aquarium through my lens, helping you decide whether it's worth visiting.
You can pre-purchase your tickets for the Kaiyukan Aquarium online at HERE to avoid long waiting lines. Thank you for reading until the end of the article!
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