Interact with the creatures at the aquarium and learn about Kanagawa!
Kanagawa Prefecture has many fascinating aquariums. They have a wide variety of concepts, such as aquariums where you can interact with animals, aquariums themed on the ocean and nature of Kanagawa and where you can learn about Kanagawa, and aquariums themed on freshwater fish from Kanagawa and around the world, and each facility has its own unique appeal. Today, we would like to introduce some of the aquariums in Kanagawa Prefecture along with their features.
Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise
Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise has four aquariums: Dolphin Fantasy, Aqua Museum, Fureai Lagoon, and Umi Farm. (In addition to the aquariums, there are many other attractions.)
At Dolphin Fantasy, after entering the entrance you walk through an arched tank.
A baby dolphin was born on June 3rd, and it was a heartwarming sight to see it swimming alongside its mother. The baby dolphin is growing rapidly, so this may be a rare sight that only comes around now.
The Aqua Museum is home to about 120,000 animals from about 700 different species, including deep-sea fish and cold-sea animals. There are plenty of things to see, including polar bears and seals, a large aquarium that is home to 50,000 sardines (the largest number in Japan), and dolphin shows.
At Umi Farm, you can learn about the importance of nature, the environment, and the 5DGs through the "Sea Education" experience in a fun and easy-to-understand way. At the Fureai Lagoon, you can interact with a variety of animals, including bottlenose dolphins, beluga whales, penguins, and otters. Perhaps the greatest feature of the Fureai Lagoon is the large number of animals you can interact with. At the Fureai Lagoon, you can have many unique experiences, such as shaking hands with dolphins and feeding them.
[Official Website] Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise
Enoshima Aquarium
The Enoshima Aquarium is located about a 3-minute walk from Katase-Enoshima Station on the Odakyu Line, right in front of Katase Kaigan Nishihama, a famous swimming beach. It opened in July 1954 and has a long history of 67 years.
Originally called Enoshima Aquarium, it was renovated in 2004 and its name was changed to "Shin-Enoshima Aquarium." The building has two floors above ground and one below, and displays dolphins, penguins, sea lions, many colorful fish that live in the Pacific Ocean, fantastical jellyfish, and creatures that live in the deep sea.
One of the most distinctive features of the Enoshima Aquarium is the exhibit on Sagami Bay, which can be found as soon as you enter. The exhibit introduces the creatures of Sagami Bay, which spreads out before your eyes, at each depth, and their characteristics and the creatures that live there, allowing you to learn more about what kind of place Sagami Bay is. In addition, the Large Sagami Bay Aquarium, which houses all the fish that live in Sagami Bay, has so many fish swimming leisurely that you'll want to watch them forever.
The second feature is that there are many materials on the research of Emperor Showa and the former Emperor, including materials on Emperor Showa's research on Sagami Bay creatures and the former Emperor's research on gobies.
This aquarium offers both fun and educational experiences, with dolphin and sea lion shows, fish feeding, and craft workshops.
[Official website] Enoshima Aquarium
Kawasaki Aquarium
Kawasui Kawasaki Aquarium (hereinafter referred to as Kawasui) is located on the 9th and 10th floors of Kawasaki LeFron, about a 1-minute walk from JR Kawasaki Station.
The Tama River Zone, Oceania and Asia Zone, South America Zone, and Amazon Zone are all recreations of waterside areas from around the world, and the fish and animals that live there are on display. Rather than exhibiting a single species, the idea is that the creatures that live in those areas are living in the recreated waterside areas.
The concept of the museum is to focus on creatures that live near freshwater aquatic organisms rather than the sea, and it also exhibits and provides detailed explanations about the creatures that live in the Tama River basin that flows through the local city of Kawasaki.
Due to space limitations, there are no large creatures on display, but in the panoramic screen zone, dolphins and whales come to play with projection mapping, making you feel as if you are in the ocean. In addition, there are events where staff members give detailed explanations about the ecology of these creatures, allowing you to learn about ecology that you would not normally be able to know about.
[Official Website] Kawasaki Aquarium
Aburatsubo Marine Park
Aburatsubo Marine Park opened in April 1968 as part of the 70th anniversary project of Keikyu Railway. The exhibition facility, "Fish Kingdom," features a large, rotating aquarium tank called the Donut Sea. You can see many fish swimming leisurely, including sawfish, grey nurse sharks, and bull sharks. The sight of so many fish swimming around you is truly impressive.
Additionally, specimens of megamouth sharks and giant squids, as well as academic dissection results, are on display.
Another must-see is the dolphin and sea lion show at "Fantasia." It is a program rich in storylines, and the one I saw was about taking over the world from an oil pot. The dolphins and sea lions performed in perfect unison to take over the world.
There are also exhibits based on the local Sagami sea and Miura nature, allowing visitors to learn about the characteristics of Sagami sea and Miura nature.
Due to the significant deterioration of its buildings and facilities, Aburatsubo Marine Park is scheduled to close on September 30, 2021. Aburatsubo Marine Park has a 53-year history, and many visitors probably have fond memories of the park. We would like to say "thank you" to Aburatsubo Marine Park for creating so many wonderful memories for us.
[Official website] Keikyu Aburatsubo Marine Park
Kanagawa aquariums have exhibits that are very locally rooted. There are many facilities where you can learn about the local sea, nature, and ecosystems, and I was able to learn about the geographical and natural features of Kanagawa. It is a very valuable experience to learn about Kanagawa and the earth while interacting with fish and animals. Why not visit one of them?
