The Best Tokyo Aquariums to Visit in 2023

Tokyo offers many unique experiences, including the cool Tokyo aquariums. Watch incredible dolphin shows or cute penguins swimming against the backdrop of Tokyo, as if flying through the city! Here are some aquariums in Tokyo you don't want to miss.

Hours

10:00 am–8:00 pm

Address

4-10-30 Takanawa, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8611 (map)

Access

2 minutes from Shinagawa Station

Price

¥2,500 adults, ¥800–¥1,300 children (ages 0–3 free)

Shows

Dolphin show up to 6-7/day; sea otter, penguin, and Water Curtain Call shows 1–2/day (schedule)

Feeding

Capybara and Wonder Tube fish feedings daily (schedule)

Centrally located on top of the Sunshine City complex in Ikebukuro, the Sunshine Aquarium boasts one very special feature: the Sky Journey rooftop area, with the impressive overhanging tanks Sunshine Aqua Ring and Penguins in the Sky. Watching sea lions and penguins swim above you, as if flying through the air against a backdrop of the Tokyo skyline, is quite the experience!

The other floors of the aquarium are themed as Ocean Journey and Waterfront Journey. The latter has eight areas, like Mangrove Forest, Amphibian World, and Fresh Streams of Japan, where you can meet various critters found on and around the edges of the world’s waters.

The Ocean Journey floor has nine areas, with quite a few highlights that make Sunshine Aquarium a top pick. Immersive Space of Jellyfish is a tranquil area comprised of the mesmerizing Jellyfish Panorama and Jellyfish Tunnel. Encounter with Ocean Sunfish is home to the mola-mola, a true giant of the seas and one of the world’s largest fish. And the Sunshine Lagoon dominates the level: a huge tank designed to resemble a coral reef, where groups of smaller fish dart between the large rays floating gently past.

Besides all that, you could easily spend a full day enjoying the Sunshine City complex. There are two extensive shopping centers, nearly 100 cafes and restaurants, a planetarium, the Gashapon Department Store with 3,000 dispensers, eclectic indoor theme park Namjatown, and the Sunshine 60 Observatory Tenbou Park.

Sumida Aquarium in Tokyo Skytree Town is not as extensive as the Sunshine Aquarium or Maxell Aqua Park, but its proximity to Tokyo Skytree and Asakusa makes it one of the most popular aquariums in town.

Although on the smaller side, this aquarium is praised for its design and the spacious comfort enjoyed by its penguins and fur seals — two stars of the show here. They share one of the largest indoor open tanks in Japan, holding about 350 tons of water in a two-level atrium exhibit space that allows observation from every angle.

The Ogasawara Tank brings the ocean life of the capital’s Ogasawara Islands into the city — 450 sea creatures of 50 different species including sharks and stingrays. Look through the Aqua Scope portholes behind the tank for another perspective that simulates an underwater view. Other standout features include the open-top jellyfish tanks that you can view from above on a glass-bottomed walkway, and the Edorium, an exhibition displaying 20 breeds of goldfish with traditional Edo-era design elements.

Tokyo Sea Life Park stands out from the crowd thanks to its scope, outdoor attractions, and location in Kasai Rinkai Park: a sprawling seaside park on Tokyo Bay, near Disneyland. It’s also the cheapest aquarium on our list, at just ¥700 for adults!

Managed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, this aquarium is more focused on education than entertainment, so you’ll find no dolphin shows or digital pyrotechnics here. Instead, enjoy its superior scope and size — its 600 different species beat any other Tokyo aquarium by a long way!

In particular, the huge donut-shaped tank titled Voyagers of the Sea holds some 2,200 tons of water and houses enormous tuna that swim circles around you as you watch from its center. The 11 other exhibits include Seas of the World, Coral Reef Seas, The Kelp Forest, and The Sea of Tokyo.

In the outdoor zone called Nature Along the Water’s Edge, the Penguin Habitat area steals the limelight. Here you can watch some 100 penguins of four species swim and frolic freely around this huge outside enclosure. And at the Tide Pool area, brave visitors can actually handle starfish and sea urchins if they dare (note, though, that this hands-on experience may be suspended depending on circumstances).

And when you’ve had your fill of aquatic friends, enjoy dazzling views of Tokyo Bay from the cafeteria, stroll the seaside park’s waterfront, or even ride the Ferris wheel — once the tallest in the world!

Shinagawa Aquarium is angled more toward locals than the other top Tokyo aquariums. Those who understand some Japanese will get the most out of the events and displays, but it has plenty of non-verbal attractions that make it worthy of this list.

The biggest draw here is the Tunnel Tank, holding 500 tons of water and 160 fish of 50 different species. If walking under the water surrounded by turtles, sharks, rays, and more sounds good to you, this is a marine museum worth checking out. Other top features include the Shark Hall, Squid and Octopus Friends, and Spotted Seal Observatory. See the full list here!

The aquarium is situated in Shinagawa Community Park and makes use of the space for its Dolphin and Sea Lion Stadium, so swing by if you’re after a variety of animal shows.

Finally, the most unique element of the aquarium is the variety of hands-on activities on offer for a small extra fee. For ¥100, you can meet the “doctor fish” that gently nibble and exfoliate your hands. ¥500 gets you the chance to feed fish, seals, or otters depending when you visit. And for ¥1,000, you can extract a pearl from a resident oyster with your own two hands! Then take it home, or have it made into unique jewelry.