Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan
The Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan (海遊館, Kaiyūkan, known as the Kaiyukan) is an aquarium located in the ward of Minato in Osaka, Japan, near Osaka Bay. It is one of the largest public aquariums in the world,[6] and is a member of the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums (JAZA).
The Kaiyukan Aquarium | |
Date opened | May 1990 [1] |
---|---|
Location | Osaka, Japan |
Coordinates | 34°39′16.1″N 135°25′44.0″E |
Land area | 26,570 square metres (286,000 sq ft) [2] |
No. of animals | 29,000 [3] |
No. of species | 470 [3] |
Volume of largest tank | 5,400 cubic metres (190,699 cu ft) [4] |
Total volume of tanks | 10,941 cubic metres (386,378 cu ft) [4] |
Memberships | JAZA[5] |
Public transit access | |
Website | www |
The aquarium is about a five-minute walk from Osakako Station on the Osaka Municipal Subway Chūō Line, and is next to the Tempozan Ferris Wheel.[6]
Exhibits
The walk-through aquarium displays marine life in several habitats comprising 27 tanks in 16 main exhibits with a total volume of 10,941 tons of water. The habitats are from the Ring of Fire area of the Pacific Ocean. The largest tank is 9 metres (30 ft) deep and holds 5,400 cubic metres (190,699 cu ft) of water and a variety of fish including manta rays and 2 whale sharks.[4]
The tanks used in the aquarium are made of 314 tonnes (346 tons) of acrylic glass. The largest single pane measures six meters by five meters by thirty centimeters and weighs roughly 10 tons. At the thicknesses used, regular glass would be unwieldy and would not have the desired transparency.
The "New Interactive Area" that opened in 2013 allows visitors to see the animals up close and possibly touch them. In the "New Interactive Area", 3 zones are constructed, the Arctic zone, in which you see rounding ringed seals, Falkland Islands Zone, where you can see the rockhopper penguins, and the Maldives Zone, in which you can directly touch sharks and rays. [7]
The themes, displays and their respective organisms at Kaiyukan are as follows;
Tunnel Tank
- Chromis notata
- Siganus fuscescens
- Rays and similar
Japanese Forests
- Oriental small-clawed otter
- Satsukimasu
- Japanese giant salamander and similar
Aleutian Islands
- Sea otters
- Rainbow trout
- Sebastes inermis and similar
Monterey Bay
Panama Bay
- Coati
- Porcupinefish
Antarctica
- Variety of penguins
Tasmanian Sea
Great Barrier Reef
- Chromis notata
- Butterflyfish and other species
The Pacific Ocean
This is largest tank in the aquarium.
- Whale Shark
- Manta Ray
- Bluefin Tuna and other large fish
Seto Inland Sea
- Fish native to Seto, Japan
Chilean Rocks
- South American pilchard
- Japanese anchovy and other species
Cook Strait
- Sea tortoises and other species
Japanese Trench
- Japanese spider crab
- Largehead hairtail
- North Pacific giant octopus
- Marbled rockfish and other species
Deep sea Zone
- Giant isopods
- Japanese lobsters
- Trumpet fish and other species
Jellyfish Area
- Varieties of jellyfish
Architecture
The Kaiyukan’s conceptual design, architecture, and exhibit design was led by Peter Chermayeff of Peter Chermayeff LLC while at Cambridge Seven Associates.[1]
Notes
- "Peter Chermayeff LLC". peterchermayeff.com. Peter Chermayeff LLC. Archived from the original on 27 April 2012. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
- "Osaka Aquarium (Kaiyukan)". frommers.com. Frommer's. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
- "About Us". kaiyukan.com. Osaka Waterfront Development Co. Ltd. Archived from the original on 2010-03-29. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
- "Exhibition". kaiyukan.com. Osaka Waterfront Development Co. Ltd. Archived from the original on 2010-03-29. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
- "List of Aquariums" (PDF). jazga.or.jp. Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Retrieved 12 June 2010.
- "Osaka Aquarium". gojapango.com. GoJapanGo. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
- "Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan - Osaka Travel Guide | Planetyze". Planetyze. Retrieved 2018-01-30.