Kaiyukan

A Manta Ray in the Main Tank

This past weekend, I was also able to check Osaka Aquarium (Kaiyukan) off my list of places to go. The aquarium is massive and quite a lot bigger than the Vancouver one. However, the place is almost entirely dedicated to the main tank which hosts whale sharks, manta rays, hammerhead sharks, blue fin tunas and a host of other species living in a display that is 4 floors tall.

The Aquarium

The aquarium, combined with the fantastic view from the harbour is well worth the trip. To make it even easier, all major train stations will have a package that includes entrance and all day transportation for a price than is less than the total of buying everything separately. In addition it includes all day travel on the subway and whichever line you have to take to get there (i.e. the Keihan line for those travelling from Kansai Gaidai)

Spider Crabs

One disappointing note is that most of the marine creatures besides those in the main tank, are fairly similar to Vancouver. I was hoping for something tropical and colourful, but instead I was greeted with the usual North American sea life such as otters, seals and penguins. However, if I can remember the Aquarium in Tokyo, I believe that the Osaka one is far better and plus there is also a lot to do around the Aquarium.