Osaka’s (大阪) Kaiyukan aquarium is a major attraction of the city and among the largest aquariums in the world. It lies in the Osaka bay area very near to Universal Studios Japan. Kyoto (京都) also has an aquarium that is nice but comes nowhere near close to the Kaiyukan in Osaka.
The aquarium consists of 15 tanks total, one of which is nine meters deep and houses a whale shark which is Kaiyukan’s main attraction. This is also the central tank of the whole building, representing the Pacific Ocean.
When entering the Kaiyukan, you are taken on a downward journey through all kinds of marine life, starting on the 8th floor. From there, it goes down to the floors below in a spiral fashion.
During this tour, some tanks can be seen from multiple angles and perspectives, giving you new impressions each time.
Overall, the Kaiyukan aquarium is a very spectacular sight that you definitely shouldn’t miss out on. It is also a very good family destination.
Below, I’ll give you more info on how to get to the Kaiyukan and its operating hours and admission fee.
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Opening Hours & Admission Fee
- Open pretty much daily from 10:00 – 20:00 (From 9:30 in May, October and mid-July to August)
- The aquarium is closed on some irregular maintenance days throughout the year
- Entrance fee is 2,300 Yen (20€/$21.50; exchange rate as of September 2019)
How to get to the Kaiyukan aquarium
It’s located near Osakako Station and can be reached in about 17 minutes and 390 Yen (3,31€/$3.61) starting from Osaka Station. First take JR Osaka Loop Line and transfer to the Chuo Line at Bentencho Station.
You can hop onto a ferry and go to Universal Studios Japan from this aquarium, as I described in this article.
