A Day at the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan

Aquariums are one of our must see places every time we visit somewhere new. Irene and I have always loved aquariums and Lauren even more so it was no surprise that when researching what to see in Osaka that Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan was on top of our list.

To get to Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan, you have to take the Chuo line (green) subway and get off at Osakako station. From there, just follow the signs pointing to the aquarium. The walk is about 10-15 minutes depending on your speed.

We lined up for a bit to get tickets to the aquarium, took us about 15-20 minutes. We got the regular tickets only because we already had unlimited transpo tickets. If you don’t have those tickets then you might want to get the ticket packages.  Tickets for adults were ¥2300 (P840),  students (7-15) were ¥1200 (P440). We also got to take home some post it flags after I clipped some coupons from a guide book.

The exhibit starts with the otters and the seals, some of them adept at putting on a show.

A giant block shows how thick the acrylic they use to make the enclosures for the aquarium.

Here are random snaps of the marine animals. You can literally while away the whole day watching them swim and interact with each other.

 

    

         

 

There’s an interactive thing with Nintendo DS that children can do but it was in Japanese. Here’s a ray giving visitors a smiling face.

The last part of the aquarium is the penguin area and the Maldives area where visitors can touch rays and sharks.

Before reaching the exit, there’s a special exhibit of non aquatic animals. Here’s Lauren mimicking a sloth hanging on a branch.

We got a magnet and some ballpen for Lauren at the souvenir shop. What we liked about it is that they don’t make it mandatory to pass through it to exit the aquarium.

Other places to see near Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan are the Tempozan Ferris Wheel (closed for reno during our visit), Tempozan Marketplace (food and shops) and the Santa Maria Cruise Ride. We had our lunch at the marketplace, chahan (fried rice) and a Shrimp Cutlet sandwich.

On your way back to the subway, be sure to stop by the Milky ice cream shop. Each soft serve cup comes with a cookie, strawberry syrup and sprinkles. The spoon is even shaped like Peko-chan, the Milky mascot.

Look at the my happy ice cream monster posing next to Peko-chan.

Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan

1-1-10 Kaigandori, Minato-ku, Osaka City, Japan

Getting There: Take Chuo Line (Green) and get off at Osakako Station plus 10-15 min walk

Ticket Prices:

Adult – ¥2300
Student – ¥1200

Operation Hours: 10am to 8pm daily (changes by season)

 

Facebook Page: Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan

Website: Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan

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