The City Tamanokaiyo Museum is also called the ‘Shibukawa Marine Aquarium’ and is the only aquarium in Okayama Prefecture. The museum is divided into an aquarium and an exhibition hall. The aquarium has 34 tanks of various sizes and exhibits about 180 species and 2,000 marine organisms, mainly from the Seto Inland Sea. This museum is located right next to the Shibukawa coast, a beautiful stretch of white sand and green pine trees. This is the perfect aquarium for families to enjoy together with a stroll along the beach.
Contents
Find some unique creatures from the Seto Inland Sea
Fish from the Seto Inland Sea, including Ammodytes like the Japanese sardinella and the personatus, can be observed in this aquarium year-round. Actually, exhibitions of Ammodytes are quite rare in Japan so be sure to observe them closely! There are many other kinds of fish to see, such as uncountable numbers of spotnape cardinalfish, clione, the popular spotted garden eel, Japanese barramundi and more. Many of the tanks pop out from the walls, so you can observe the creatures inside from various angles. You can also touch shellfish, starfish and sea urchin in the ‘touch pool’.
More than just fish!
There are also a wide range of exhibits besides fish. The outdoor pool houses penguins, spotted seals, fur seals and large sea turtles, all of which you can see up close. It is possible to feed the sea turtles. There is also a fascinating exhibition of marine machinery. They symbol of this aquarium is a lighthouse that was built to commemorate the visit of the Emperor and Empress in 1953, the year the aquarium opened. It is called the ‘Miyuki Lighthouse’.
Don’t miss the exhibition hall
There are three exhibition rooms to see here, including shell specimens, ship models and stuffed fish. There are a thousand specimens of shellfish, so it is quite impressive! Some of the shellfish are rare so it is worth a visit.
Getting here
| Adress | 2-6-1 Shibukawa, Tamano 706-0028, Okayama Prefecture |
| ☎ | 0863-81-8111 |
| Access | City Tamanokaiyo Museum(Shibukawa Marine Aquarium) (English) |
Map
Admission Tickets (or admission fee)
| Fees | General | One-year pass |
|---|---|---|
| Adult (including high school students) | 500 yen | 1,200 yen |
| Child (Ages 5 – middle school student) | 250 yen | 600 yen |
| Pair (Admission pass for a combination of an adult and a child) | — | 1,600 yen |
Opening Hours & Calendar
| Hours | |
|---|---|
| General | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Last entry 4:30 p.m.) |
| Sea-bathing period (July & August) | 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. (Last entry 5:00 p.m.) |
| Days closed | Wednesday (if a Wednesday is a national holiday, then the next day). Close on Jan 4 and Dec 29 -31. Open everyday during March 25 – April 10, April 29-May 5, and in July and August. |
Official website
City Tamano Maritime Museum (Shibukawa Marine Aquarium)
FAQs
Nursing Lounge
Not available.
Coin lockers
Not available.
Baby stroller rental service
Not available. The aquarium is stroller friendly.
Wheelchair rental service
Not available. The aquarium is wheelchair friendly.
