A Journey of Connection with Other Creatures

The curtain opens on your journey with
the tunnel-style “Fish Underpass – Aqua Gate” aquarium.
Break the ice with the “Japan Forest” exhibit on the
top floor under the sunlight, then proceed to
travel deep beneath the sea from the surface.
The facility is centered around
the massive “Pacific Ocean” aquarium exhibit
- styled after its namesake - with
14 other aquarium exhibits arranged faithfully
around it based on their locations on the Pacific Rim.
In short, we have done everything possible
to recreate the natural environment.
We hope that your journey around the Pacific Ocean
in the Kaiyukan aquarium gives you
a sense of the miraculous, precious nature of life,
as well as its mysteries and value of the natural world.

Aqua Gate

Wouldn’t it be fun to be able to look around
anywhere you wanted, under the sea?
The “Fish Underpass – Aqua Gate” is here to make that dream come true.
Pass through the tunnel to a world of blue,
almost as if you have entered
a transparent undersea tunnel.

Japan Forest

The forest absorbs rainwater, and the rainwater goes on
to form small rivulets in crevices among the rocks.
In time, it flows onward to rivers
and ultimately the sea.
This exhibit recreates a Japanese forest, complete with
river fish and creatures that live near water.

Aleutian Islands

The environment of the Aleutian Islands is
cold and harsh.
This region, where the waters are abundant
with rich nutrients
and populated by species of fish,
is also home to the Tufted Puffin,
a member of the bird species.

Monterey Bay

The cliffs of California’s coastline are home to
numerous species of aquatic mammals.
Visitors to this exhibit can observe
the coastal sea lions and seals on both land and sea.

Gulf of Panama

Even a nation once largely covered with tropical rainforest
like Panama now retains only a few areas of that environment.
This exhibit showcases tropical fish and other living beings native to Panama.

Ecuador Rain Forest

A South American tropical rain forest
located directly on the equator.
The river basins in this region likely hold more diverse
plant and animal life
than anywhere else on earth.

Antarctica

The ice-shrouded continent of Antarctica.
We have recreated the harsh Antarctic environment of rocks and ice in this exhibit,
letting us present penguins’ humorous behavior on land alongside their swift movements in the water.

Tasman Sea

Although it only covers a relatively small area,
the sea around New Zealand
has a very sharp water temperature
gradient between hot and cold areas.
Seawater temperature variances have
a major impact on coastal aquatic animals.
This exhibit reveals the ecology of the Pacific white-sided dolphins spread across its warm areas.

Great Barrier Reef

Currently, "Great Barrier Reef" tank is closed for renewal construction.
The Opening is scheduled for September 2024.

Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean, a massive body of water
surrounded by five continents and covering one third of the earth’s surface.
In this exhibit, an aquarium 9 meters deep and 34 meters long
at its longest represents the ocean with a total of 5,400 tons of water.

Seto Inland Sea

The Seto Inland Sea, a name known globally as the starting point of aquaculture fisheries.
A huge variety of fish are carried to this sea by the currents from surrounding areas.
This exhibit presents a few representative examples from among that variety.

Seasonal Exhibits

These aquariums are exhibited from time to time throughout the year
in order to highlight creatures for extra attention.

Coast of Chile

When currents from the south bring cool,
nutrient-rich waters to the coast of Chile,
they also generate massive amounts of
both plant and animal planktons.
This exhibit showcases species of sardines
as they gather
and swim
around the rocks in search of that plankton.

Cook Strait

The Cook Strait divides New Zealand
into its North and South Islands,
and is sometimes subject to strong winds.
It also receives a cyclical current of
cool seawater that is rich in nutrients.
This exhibits displays the sea turtles native to the Cook Strait alongside indigenous species of fish.

Japan Deep

The ocean depths are full of life. This exhibit centers on the inhabitants of
a sloping section of ocean floor beneath the Sea of Japan,
at about 200 – 400 meters in depth.
The Japanese spider crabs that live here are the largest variety in the world.

Jellyfish

This new area gives the impression of gazing into a galaxy of jellyfish floating in space.
Visitors will find that the remarkable movements of the jellyfish inspire various sensations of beauty,
transparency, floating, tolerance, tranquility, and connectedness with life.

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