Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise
A theme park where you can also enjoy interacting with marine animals
Sea Paradise is one of Japan's largest aquariums, home to approximately 120,000 creatures from 700 different species. It consists of four buildings, including the Aqua Museum, which houses a large tank filled with 50,000 sardines, and Dolphin Fantasy, where dolphins swim leisurely in an arched tank.
Marine mammals include walruses, grey seals, and sea lions known as "sea lions," such as the sea lion, Sealidae. The most popular are the beluga whales, known for their adorable appearance and expressions. Also known as beluga (Russian for white), they are characterized by their plump, soft heads. You can see them at only four museums in Japan. You can also observe bottlenose dolphins up close at the Fureai Lagoon, where you can also enjoy a hands-on experience.
Otaru Aquarium
Meet 50 seals in a spectacular pool that's almost like the sea
It's so much like the ocean that you'll be like, "You're kidding me!" Dozens of seals and sea lions are kept in the Marine Mammal Park, a pool that's simply a partitioned section of the ocean. It's about an hour's drive from Sapporo. Located in a quasi-national park facing the Sea of Japan, it houses 70 marine mammals of nine species. It also displays rare species, such as the harbor porpoise, a small cetacean that is the only one of its kind in Japan. The park has the largest number of seals in Japan, with about 50.
It's rare to see all four seal species - spotted seal, ringed seal, spotted seal (with a coin-shaped pattern on its body!) and chinstrap seal - all in one place, and the facility is highly praised for its breeding techniques, including being the first in the world to successfully breed ringed seals. The pool can be filled with high waves or snow on the ground, and you can even see Steller's sea eagles in the sky. The marine animals live in a rapidly changing environment, and they display an energetic side that is close to that of the wild.
Shimonoseki City Aquarium Kaikyokan
Meet the burrowing penguins in an exhibit area that mimics their natural habitat
This aquarium houses a total of 120 penguins of five different species in its Penguin Village, one of Japan's largest exhibition areas. The highlight is being able to see the penguins living vibrantly in an environment as close to the wild as possible. For example, the outdoor Humboldt Penguin Special Sanctuary (pictured) is an area modeled after the island of Algarrobo, Chile. The land area is covered with soil and planted with real cacti, and the pool is recreated to resemble lapping waves, allowing visitors to observe the unique behavior of Humboldt penguins, also known as "burrowing penguins," digging nest holes and bringing plants into their nests.
In addition, in the Subantarctic Aquarium, one of the world's largest pools, with a water volume of approximately 700 tons and a maximum depth of approximately 6 meters, you can observe Gentoo penguins swimming freely as if flying in the sky.
Sumida Aquarium
56 charming birds to observe with a relationship chart in hand
This completely indoor facility is home to 56 Magellanic penguins. The pool is spacious so that the penguins can demonstrate their natural swimming ability, making it one of the largest indoor open-air penguin pools in Japan. As the top is not separated by acrylic or other materials, you can directly hear the sounds of their footsteps, splashes, cries, and more. Another unique feature is that they focus on conveying the individuality of each individual penguin.
A prime example of this is the Sumida Penguin Relationship Chart, which is produced every year. The chart charmingly depicts the personalities and relationships between the 56 penguins, which can only be seen by the caretakers who carefully observe them daily to maintain their health. As a result, each penguin has many devoted fans, and they are affectionately known as "Mr. Feathers."
