Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan (Osaka, Japan), Part II

• roselee b

This is the concluding post of a two-part miniseries on Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan in Osaka, Japan.

Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan is the largest aquarium in the world with over 30,000 fauna that encompass 620 different species under its roof.

Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan has 18 exhibit areas in its eight-story building. This post focuses on the last nine exhibit areas: Seto Inland Sea, Seasonal Exhibit, Coast of Chile, Cook Strait, Japan Deep, New Jellyfish Area, Arctic, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), and Maldives.

To read the first part, please proceed here.

Seto Inland Sea

The Seto Inland Sea is located in western Japan. It houses common octopuses, bastard halibuts, Japanese lates, barred knifejaw, darkbanded rockfish, red seabream, black porgy, and silver bream.

Some of the aquatic animals on Seto Inland Sea tank of Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan

Seasonal Exhibit

The marine life exhibited in this area varies from season to season. I think we went here for a shortwhile.

Coast of Chile

This is where one can watch a giant school of Japanese anchovies emerge as a flowing silver curtain, a true work of art created by mother nature.

Cook Strait

This tank has loggerhead turtles and pink maomao, among others.

Japan Deep

This area is features giant spider crab, the biggest crab in the world, and other mysterious forms of life of deep sea.

Giant spider crab, the biggest crab in the world, on display at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan

New Jellyfish Area

A relatively new addition to Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan, the New Jellyfish Area was opened on March 17, 2018. It has one of the most renowned collections of jellyfish in Japan. The jellyfish float in small tanks and they look ethereal while doing it. Some of the creatures featured in the New Jellyfish Area are moon jellyfish and brown jellyfish.

Jellyfish

Arctic

Arctic can be located above the Arctic Circle that runs at 66.5 degrees north latitude, when defined as the polar region where the sun is above or below the horizon for 24 continuous hours at least once a year. It consists of Arctic Ocean for the most part. Ocean surface of the North Pole, the center of the Arctic, is covered with sea ice all year round, making its climate extremely cold. It reaches an average annual temperature of negative 18 degrees Celsius and a low of negative 30 degrees Celsius.

In contrast, the temperature of seawater underneath the Arctic sea ice reaches higher than negative 1.9 degrees Celsius, freezing point of seawater. Various kinds of marine species adapted for living in low water temperature inhabit the waters of the Arctic. Invertebrate organisms like sea urchin, starfish, and sea anemone, fish such as codfish, sculpin, and salmon, and marine mammals which feed on those fishes like whales and seals are also observed.

While Antarctica is a continent surrounded by the ocean, the Arctic consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean and the land located along the Arctic Ocean connected with Euraisa and North American continent. For this reason, more abundant species of flora and fauna are found in the Arctic including Arctic willow, Arctic poppy, Arctic fox, lemming, shrew mouse, caribou, muskox, and polar bear.

While human activities in Antarctica started only 200 years ago, the inhabitants of the Arctic have existed for more than 1,000 years. Hunters like the Inuit, Yakuts, and Sami still make a living in the Arctic.

Some of the marine creatures in the Arctic exhibit at Oasaka Aquarium Kaiyukan. The Arctic lyre crabs at the bottom part inhabit the coast of Arctic Ocean and are distributed over the wide water depth from outer layer to the parts as deep as 218 meters. Young crabs may use seaweeds, debris or shell to use as camouflage.
Arctic char. Arctic char can live in coastal area and travel upstream to spawn, but some can spend their whole lives in rivers or lakes. Arctic char belongs to the family of salmon and can grow from 40 centimeters to over 1 meter.
Armored sea cucumber. They use the tentacles around the mouth to catch and eat planktons.
Red soft coral. They inhabit the place less than 200 meters and attach themselves to stone and shell. Most of soft coral is heliotropic and grow by photosynthesis. But if they inhabit an environment with very little light, they prey on zooplanktons.
Spiny lebbied shrimp

In Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan, one can feel the frigid Arctic and smell the scent of ringed seals and watch them move using their flippers.

Ringed seal, the smallest and the most common seal in the Arctic as per Wikipedia.
Ringed seals playing in one of the tanks at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan

Falkland Islands (Malvinas)

Falkland Islands are an archipelago located in the South Atlantic Ocean off the coast of South America. At present only about 3,000 people live there. Historically, the eggs of penguins, especially those of Rockhopper penguins and Gentoo penguins, were collected for food. Also, a massive number of penguins were hunted to extract oil contained in their fat. Penguin oil was used for heating oil, soap, and tanned leather. These have accounted for the considerable decline in the population of penguins.

Rockhopper penguins are named after the way they hop from rock to rock when moving around with their feet together. They have distinctive yellow decorative feather tufts running above their eyes. They are classified into three subspecies: Northern Rockhopper penguin, Southern Rockhopper penguin, and Eatern Rockhopper Penguin, according to their appearance and size. The ones at Kaiyukan are Southern Rockhopper penguins, which are commonly raised in Japan, along with Northern ones.

Rockhopper penguins consume krill and other crustaceans and small fish. The approximate size of their eggs is 7 cm by 5 cm and weigh 110 grams. Rockhopper penguins breed on sub-Antarctic islands situated at 37 to 53 degrees south latitude. They are found in surrounding waters of Antarctica and most widely distributed among genus Eudyptes.

Rockhopper penguins in the Falkland Islands area
Rockhopper penguins at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan

In the natural world, a male and a female penguin form a pair and build a nesting place on steep rocky slope with small stones or grasses. At Kaiyukan, pebbles and common reed grass are used for making nests.

Nesting rockhopper penguins
I could not let the opportunity pass to have a photo with them
TR could not let it pass either. She thought this one was her soulmate.

Maldives

The Maldives part of Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan has a Touch Pool. The Touch Pool has sharks and rays swimming in a shallow pool. Visitors are encouraged to touch (gently) them after following some directions (washing of hands before and after touching the water and the marine animals).

This touch pool has a number of sharks and rays which the guests (with proper precaution) could touch gently. Kids and adults alike tried their best to catch the attention of the marine creatures to go to their side of the touch pool. The ray in the photo was very elusive.
Touching a shark. It was a little grainy and I felt that underneath was gelatinous, if that makes any sense. This shark stayed in this area for a while. A few of us were able to touch it.

Additionally, there is an exhibit of live coral reefs. This area is the most intriguing part of the entire Kaiyukan. I saw so many creatures that I did not know existed!

Sea urchins
I guess this is a crab
A smaller crab
A velvet crab. If someone knows the names of these marine animals, kindly let me know. Thank you.

Virg and I were inside Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan for 2 hours and 39 minutes. We skipped one exhibit and did not linger in the exhibit that followed Maldives because we had other plans that day. If I had a free day, I would spend it there. Despite the throng of visitors, it was a relaxing experience. All the blue water inside the tank must have contributed to that. Moreover, I like that it was very educational. It was my first time to see over half of the animals.

Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan is an amazing place to visit for schoolchildren, adults, friends, and families (after the covid 19 pandemic). It has an animal that can capture the heart of anyone. My favorite parts are the feeding of the penguins in Antartica and the Touch Pool in Maldives. And now, I can claim that I have touched a shark! Hehehe.

Stuffed toys that represent the many amazing creatures at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan are sold at the souvenir shop just before the exit.

For more information, please read Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan, Part I.

How to get to Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan:

By train: Approximately 30 minutes from Osaka (Umeda) and Namba (Shinsaibashi). Walk around five (5) to seven (7) minutes from Osakako Station on Osaka City Subway Chuo Line.

By city bus: Approximately 40 minutes from Osaka (Umeda). Stop is adjacent to Tempozan Harbor Village.

From Kansai International Airport:  Approximately 65 minutes by train or 60 minutes by nonstop limousine bus.

From Osaka Airport: Approximately 60 minutes by train.

Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan Operating Hours:

10am to 8pm (last admission at 7pm)

It is subject to change according to the season.

The aquarium is closed on certain dates in January and February (total of four (4) days).

Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan Admission Fee:

Preschool child (age 4 and older): 600 yen (US $5.56)

Child (Elementary and junior high school student): 1,200 yen (US $11.12)

Adult (Age 16 and older or high school student and older): 2,300 yen (US $21.31)

For reservation and inquiries regarding group visit, please call 06-6576-5533.

For more details, please visit kaiyukan.com.

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