Kaiyukan Aquarium is located in Tempozan Harbor Village, Minato Ward, near Osaka Bay. It opened in 1990 and was the largest aquarium in the world at that time. Even now, Kaiyukan remains in the top 3 largest aquariums in Japan, and top 15 largest aquariums in the world. Today, let's explore this vast and historic aquarium with me!
Address: Google Map
You can get here by train, take the Chuo line towards Cosmo Square, get off at Osakako Station, then walk about 500 meters to reach the aquarium.
Ticket price: Varies depending on the age of the visitor, 2700 JPY for people 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 buy tickets online (e-ticket) or buy tickets directly at the entrance. The queuing time to buy tickets directly is usually very long, so I recommend buying e-tickets to save waiting time.
You can refer to the ticket purchase link HERE. Payment can be made by Paypal or Visa card. And remember to buy tickets 3-5 days before the expected departure date to choose an early entry time.
When I went, it was close to the koinobori festival (carp flag festival in Japan), and Kaiyukan was also very creative in hanging flags shaped like sea creatures in the aquarium such as whales, sharks, rays, etc. outside the campus. Extremely interesting 😀
You can arrive earlier than the entry time stated on the ticket to take photos around the outside of the aquarium before entering.
There will also be staff taking souvenir photos for you in front of the entrance, you will receive a free 4×6 photo. If you find them beautiful, you can buy larger photos at the counter next to them.
After entering the aquarium, there will be two walkways on the left and right, the right side leads to the entrance to the aquarium, and the right side is ... the exit. And unfortunately, I went in the wrong direction to the exit because I followed the direction of the giant shark model in front 😀
I went back and told the staff at the entrance, and thankfully they happily let me back in. Everyone, be careful not to be confused like me 😀
On the right side of the entrance, is the path leading to "Aqua gate" - a transparent tunnel under the seabed, where you can easily see many fish from many different directions. This is also a very beautiful photo spot, remember not to miss it when passing by.
Passing through the tunnel, there will be an escalator leading to the 8th floor, leading to the next exhibition called Japan Forest - Nihon no Mori.
This exhibition recreates a Japanese forest with a full range of river fish and aquatic creatures. I especially like watching the otters here, they are very mischievous and adorable. You can watch them for a long time without getting bored 😀
Following the Japanese forest, is an exhibition of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska and Monterey Bay in California, where seals live on the coastal cliffs.
We can also move forward to easily watch these seals swimming in the sea.
This area is quite deep, so you can continue to go down to take pictures if there are too many people standing and watching.
The next area will be an exhibition of the Gulf of Panama and the Ecuadorian rainforest, with lots of strangely shaped fish that I saw for the first time.
Right next to this area, is an exhibition recreating the harsh icy environment of Antarctica, where King penguins live.
There are also young penguins here, with a very special brown fur. These feathers are very thick, good insulation, helping to protect them from the harsh cold weather in Antarctica. In addition, this coat is also the same color as the cliffs, helping them to camouflage themselves from enemies. Growing up, they gradually shed this fur and develop the shiny black and white, waterproof coat that we often see in adult king penguins.
And next, is Kaiyukan's main tank, a giant aquarium located in the center of the aquarium, 9 meters deep, 34 meters long, and containing 5400 tons of water. This aquarium, called the Pacific Ocean, recreates life beneath the Pacific Ocean, with many giant fish such as rays, sharks and especially, the whale shark - the largest fish in the world. at the present time.
In addition, at certain times, we can witness firsthand the staff here diving to the seabed and feeding the fish. I will put the specific time and feeding areas in the picture below. And don't forget to book online to avoid queuing HERE. HERE .
Halfway through the aquarium there will be a cafe / fast food restaurant, everyone can rest, eat and drink before continuing to explore.
Next, let's continue to explore the rest of the aquarium with me.
And the last aquarium, with the theme Japan deeps, includes creatures living on the ocean floor, at a depth of 200-400 meters. The characteristic here is the giant Japanese spider crab, the largest crab in the world.
Giant Japanese spider crab.
In addition to Japanese spider crabs, there are also many fish with strange shapes on the ocean floor, which I saw for the first time.
And here is the end of the aquarium area in Kaiyukan, everyone go straight according to the signs to reach the next area in the aquarium. If you haven't had time to take photos in the front areas, you can take photos with the giant aquarium in the center before moving to the new area.
Because flash is not allowed inside the aquarium, you can stand close to the aquarium to take advantage of the natural light here, thereby making photography easier.
And the next area of the aquarium, is a newly built area, displaying many types of jellyfish, with full shapes and sizes, very eye-catching.
The jellyfish are also placed in horizontal cylindrical tanks, with small lights shining from below, very artistic.
Right next to the Arctic, is the Southern Rockhopper penguin area, with the characteristic feature being the golden yellow crest feathers. This is also a creature whose number is declining and is in the Red Book due to climate change and overfishing.
This is my picture every Monday morning 😀
The seal with many lovely and humorous expressions attracts a lot of people to stop and watch and are extremely excited.
Right next to the Arctic area is the Southern Rockhopper penguin area, with a characteristic feature of its golden crest feathers. This is also a creature whose population is decreasing and is on the red list due to climate change and overfishing.
And the last area of the aquarium, is an exhibition about marine corals. This area has very beautiful light, and there are quite a few angles that can be photographed.
The total time to visit the aquarium will last about 4-6 hours, including photography and rest time. So you don't need to worry too much if you can't get tickets early.
Outside the exit there is also a souvenir shop, as well as Starbucks to shop or have a coffee with friends.
And here I have completed a full day exploring the Kaiyukan Osaka Aquarium. Hopefully this article will help you have more information as well as a perspective on the attractions inside the aquarium through my lens, before deciding whether to go or not.
You can pre-book Kaiyukan Aquarium tickets online HERE to avoid long queues. Thank you for reading to the end of the article.
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