The Shimanto River Gakuyukan is located in Shimanto City, Kochi Prefecture and has two natural museums; a Dragonfly Museum and a Fish Museum. The name in Japanese includes the words ‘Akitsu’ and ‘Io’, meaning ‘dragonfly’ and ‘fish’ in the local Kochi dialect.
Contents
A focus on fish from the Shimanto River
More than half of the exhibits in the Fish Museum are of fish from the Shimanto river. Many of the exhibits relate to an ongoing field survey that is currently underway in the Shimanto river. It is amazing that most of the freshwater and brackish fish that are exhibited here, such as Japanese barramundi, short-tailed pipefish and gobies, were collected by the staff themselves. Some of the rare fish like the Japanese barramundi are released back into the wild after a period of time.
Rare freshwater fish from all over Japan
There are freshwater fish here from the Shimanto River and from all over Japan. The Tokyo bitterling, Chinese bleak and other endangered fish are carefully bred here. They endeavor to return them to the wild at some stage in the future. This is a good place to see rare Japanese fish and to deepen your understanding of how they are being protected. There are about 200 kinds of domestic freshwater and brackish fish exhibited here at the Fish Museum, the most in any single facility in Japan. Ricefish sustain themselves on Japanese native plants and there is an exhibit here that recreates their habitat. It is a calm space worth spending some time in!
Fish from overseas make a splash!
The ‘Fish of the World Corner’ exhibits foreign fish from Africa, South America and more. Small tropical fish swim around quickly, just as they do in their own rigorous ecosystems. You can take a close look at how their movements are different to those of Japanese fish. There is also a corner displaying ancient fish such as the pirarucu and bonytongue. These fish have barely changed since ancient times and it is very impressive to see them here. There is an event where you can watch the pirarucu feeding time. Don’t miss seeing these 2-meter long pirarucu eating their food!
Getting here
| Address | 8055-5 Gudo, Shimanto 787-0019, Kochi Prefecture 787-0019 |
| ☎ | 0880-37-4110 |
| Access | The aquarium direction page (Japanese) |
Access Map
Admission Tickets, Price
| Fees | General |
|---|---|
| Adult | 860 yen |
| Middle & high shool student | 430 yen |
| Child (Ages 4 and over) | 320 yen |
Opening Hours & Calendar
| Hours | |
|---|---|
| 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. | |
| Days closed | Monday (if a Monday is a national holiday, then the next day) |
Note: Schedule may vary. Please check the opening hours on the official website.
Official website
Shimanto River Gakuyukan Akitsuio
FAQs
Nursing Lounge
Not available.
Coin lockers
The aquarium has a coin-operated lockers.
Baby stroller rental service
Not available. The aquarium is stroller friendly.
Wheelchair rental service
Wheelchairs are available free of charge (Total number: 1)
