The Ashizuri Aquarium is located in the Ashizuri-Uwakai National Park facing a beautiful coastline nurtured by the Kuroshio sea current. The aquarium exhibits a wide variety of sea creatures from the sea around the city of Tosashimizu and the town of Otsuki, both of which benefit from the warm Kuroshio current.
Contents
A compelling ‘Ocean Tank’
The theme of this aquarium is ‘The Kuroshio Current and Fish of the Tosa Sea’. There are around 200 species and 3,000 sea creatures from around the Ashizuri peninsula. Of the many tanks here, the most important is the ‘Ocean Tank’. This large, cylindrical tank with a diameter of 9 meters, height of 6 meters, and weight of 380 tonnes recreates the Tosa Sea. Here you can find Bowmouth guitarfish and giant trevally measuring more than one meter long. There are some 50 kinds of fish on display here, including schools of threeline grunt and jackfish.
Don’t miss the adorable ocean sunfish tank
The second largest tank after the Ocean Tank is a midsize tank exhibiting the ocean sunfish. The calm, swimming body of the large sunfish is quite humorous, and there is something sweet about them that is difficult to put into words. They are quite curious, so if you stand in front of the tank there is a chance they might come over to you. However, while they might be sweet when viewed from the side, when they turn to face you they are unexpectedly scary-looking! It is surprising to see, so be sure to view them from both the side and the front. It is possible to see the feeding of the sunfish from 2 pm in the ocean water tank, and from 1:00 pm in the midsize tank.
Make some sea creature friends in the ‘Touch Pool’
The ‘touch pool’ contains sea creatures from the Tosa Sea and is recommended for families with children. It is possible to actually pick up small fish, sea urchins, hermit crabs, sea cucumbers and crabs to observe them up close. Small children may be hesitant to touch some of these creatures for the first time, especially the sea cucumber. However, these are creatures we do not come across every day, so encourage them to give it a try!
Getting here
| Address | 4032, Misaki Imashiba, Tosashimizu 787-0452, Kochi Prefecture |
| ☎ | 0880-85-0635 |
| Access | The aquarium direction page (Japanese) |
Access Map
Admission Tickets, Price
| Fees | General | One-year pass |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | 720 yen | 1,000 yen |
| Primary – high shool student | 360 yen | 500 yen |
Opening Hours & Calendar
| Hours | |
|---|---|
| Apr – Aug | 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Last entry 5:30 p.m. |
| Sep – Mar | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Last entry 4:30 p.m. |
| Days closed | 3rd Thursday in December |
Note: Schedule may vary. Please check the opening hours on the official website.
Official website
FAQs
Nursing Lounge
Not available.
Coin lockers
Coin-operated lockers are available in the aquarium.
Baby stroller rental service
Baby strollers are available free of charge.
Wheelchair rental service
Wheelchairs are available free of charge.
