Aquariums in Japan
Displaying the Undersea World
For Fish’s sake!
That could be Japanese people’s motto as they enjoy eating any kind of fishes as well as they appreciate just watching them in their diversity. The archipelago therefore maintains a great number of aquariums, in large cities in the vicinity of entertainment areas, and in more quiet coastal regions, each with their characteristics and a favorite species highlighted as a mascot, such as the whale shark.
Among the largest aquariums in Japan are:
- Churaumi on Okinawa’s main island Honto,
- Kaiyukan in Osaka,
- Aquamarine in Fukushima,
- Umitamago in Sendai; and,
- The aquarium of Niigata port.
Aquariums spare no effort to please children and families, with gigantic water tanks, underwater glass tunnels, etc. Older visitors can also learn more on the aquatic wildlife and flora. Note however that dolphins or penguin shows are frequently staged in Japanese aquariums. Some are even quite old and still use outdated small water tanks.
There is a kind of magic in visiting a well-maintained aquarium, especially when the space immersed in darkness offers a pleasant break unaffected by the passing of time.