It is a massive aquarium that boasts the largest number of species in Japan. I visited once about six years ago before I got married, and it’s a place filled with wonderful memories for me. Since it’s so spacious, I figured the kids would have a blast too, so we decided to go! Here is a detailed look at what makes it so special.
- Access
- The Charm of Toba Aquarium
- Tips for Strollers
- Can you see sea lions and seals through a tube?!
- Exploring the aquarium even further!
- Restaurant “Bayside”
- It feels just like a zoo! Zone G (the reptile and amphibian area).
- The places we couldn’t visit this time.
- Nursing room and shops
- In Conclusion
- Aside: Recommended hotel with aquarium tickets included
Access
Since we used the Ise-wan Ferry, the aquarium was right next to the pier.
There are several parking lots available, and the ones inside the aquarium grounds (marked with red lines) seem to fill up very quickly. This time, we parked in the multi-story parking garage (marked with blue lines). It cost 1,000 yen (approx. $7), though you might find cheaper options if you look for other parking lots nearby.
If you are coming by train, the aquarium is a short 15-minute walk from both JR Toba Station and Nakanogo Station. It is also quite convenient from Ise Grand Shrine, which is only about a 15-minute train ride away to the station. Since the facilities are indoors, it is a highly recommended spot even on rainy days.
The Charm of Toba Aquarium
One of the biggest draws of Toba Aquarium is that it boasts the largest number of species in Japan, with around 1,200 different kinds of creatures. Because of this, the facility is incredibly spacious.
Additionally, it is described as an “aquarium without a fixed route,” meaning you can wander through the exhibits and explore whichever way your heart takes you.
Normally, you would enter from the first floor, but since we had a stroller, the staff at the entrance advised us to take the elevator up to the third floor first.
Entering from the third floor, the first things that catch your eye are a massive whale model and a grand, towering aquarium tank.
The third floor is home to many souvenir shops. Since the Ise area is world-famous for its pearls, there were even shops selling high-end pearl jewelry.
My younger son was absolutely captivated by the diver who was cleaning the massive tank right in front of him (lol).
Tips for Strollers
The facility is generally well-equipped with elevators and ramps, making it easy to get around with a stroller. However, since it was a holiday and quite crowded—and because the tanks are divided into different zones—I realized the stroller might get in the way once the kids started running around freely. I went to the information desk to look for a designated stroller parking area, but… it turns out they don’t actually have one (lol).
I debated leaving it in the car, but decided to keep it with us just in case both kids needed a nap at the same time. Since the walkways inside the aquarium are so wide, the stroller didn’t really feel like it was getting in anyone’s way no matter where we were.
By the way, I noticed they had child-sized push-carts available for rent on the 3rd floor!
Can you see sea lions and seals through a tube?!
The first place the kids headed for was Zone B, the “Kingdom of Sea Mammals.”
There is an area where you can see sea lions and seals swimming right under a transparent tube. Both my oldest and youngest sons seemed to have a blast there and stayed for quite a while. Apparently, they also have scheduled feeding times you can watch!
You can view the same tank from the floor below as well, and the view from there is absolutely powerful!
Mysterious Bones!
If you head even further back on the lower floor, you’ll find an area where things like skeletons are on display.
I thought they were dinosaur skeletons at first, but they were actually the bones of creatures that are still alive today (lol). I even mistook a pelican for a small Pteranodon! (lol)
I heard that most of them are actually the skeletons of animals that used to live right here in this aquarium. It made me start imagining that maybe dinosaurs didn’t all have tough, lizard-like faces, but might have actually had cute faces too (lol). It was fun to think about!
Exploring the aquarium even further!
Here is the floor map. It’s a three-story building and feels very spacious.
I thought they would be obsessed with the fish, but they actually seemed to fall in love with the ferry we took right before arriving at the aquarium. My oldest son insisted, “I’m not moving until the ferry comes!”—since it passes by about once every hour—and my youngest son ended up peering out alongside him.
By the way, there was a capsule toy machine (Gacha-gacha) near here with original items. They seemed very popular, as people were using them one after another and the staff kept restocking them.
My oldest son was still standing his ground, and I couldn’t help but think, “We haven’t even seen half of the place yet!” But since there’s no point in forcing him to move, my younger son and I decided to wander around the nearby exhibits while we waited.
Large creatures are on display in zones E, F, and H.
There is even a manatee in the freshwater fish corner!
There are only three aquariums in the world where you can see dugongs. The one here, named Serena, has been in captivity for over 30 years and is currently breaking the world record for the longest care period every single day.
The dugong had such a cute face too. I couldn’t stop staring at those sweet, bead-like eyes for a while!
Although it’s a bit out of chronological order, we managed to catch the dugong’s lunchtime. She was munching away on seaweed, but I wasn’t the only one thinking, “Isn’t most of it just floating away in the tank?” Other people watching were saying the same thing (lol).
Restaurant “Bayside”
My eldest son, who had finished watching the second ferry, finally felt like moving. It was already lunchtime, so we decided to have lunch at the restaurant inside!
We ordered Ise Udon here as well. They had regular udon too, but since these noodles were specifically for Ise Udon, they were very soft.
And then, believe it or not… after all that stubborn waiting, we realized you could actually see the ferry much better from the restaurant! (crying). If your child is a fellow ferry-lover, I highly recommend watching it from the restaurant (lol).
By the way, there was another restaurant in the aquarium called “Hanasango.” It had a very calm atmosphere and no windows, but it’s located right in front of the large tank on the 3rd floor. If you want to enjoy the outside view, I recommend “Bayside.”
It feels just like a zoo! Zone G (the reptile and amphibian area).
After a quick nap at the restaurant, we headed over to Zone G (the reptiles and amphibians area). There is a slope available, so you can easily head up there with a stroller!
The atmosphere changed completely, and it felt just like being at a zoo. I wondered what everyone was doing crouching down, and it turned out there was a Doctor Fish corner. It was so crowded that I couldn’t take many photos…
This area especially felt like a place where my 2-year-old second son might try to go for a swim, so you definitely need to be careful if you don’t have a change of clothes!
There were also the turtles that my younger son loves,
and there were even giant iguanas that looked just like dinosaurs.
The rare Fishing Cat.
True to its name, it’s a unique wild cat known for being an expert at “fishing.” They have small webs between their toes and can even dive underwater to catch fish!
The places we couldn’t visit this time.
The Walrus Show
We couldn’t see it this time, but the Walrus Show I saw on our last visit was so memorable. A massive walrus passes right in front of you, so you can observe it from a very close distance.
This is a photo from six years ago, but you could see the walrus doing sit-ups,
It made such a huge impression on me because it passed by so closely.
This was how things were before COVID, so it might be a little different now, but since they are such massive creatures, I’m sure they’re still incredibly impressive even from a distance.
Sea Otter Area
We also wanted to see the sea otters, but there was a 30-minute wait. Since we’d only get to see them for one minute after waiting all that time, we decided to pass this time. It was a Sunday, so I think they would be much easier to see on a weekday.
Apparently, this is one of only two aquariums in Japan where you can still see sea otters. While sea otter exhibits aren’t necessarily rare worldwide, this place is famous for the incredibly strong bond between the otters and their keepers. Their performances are truly one-of-a-kind, showcasing the otters’ intelligence and physical abilities—like jumping to grab pieces of squid stuck to the glass right before your eyes.
Nursing room and shops
- Nursing room: Located between Corner H (Dugongs) and the Plaza Shop. There were three rooms separated by curtains, and they also had diaper changing tables and hot water for formula.
- Shops: There was a wide variety, ranging from standard souvenir shops to stores selling authentic pearl accessories. There was even a shop where you can make your own snow globes, which I’d love to try once the kids are a little older.
In Conclusion
Even though we stayed for over 4 hours, we still didn’t get to see things like the jellyfish area in the special exhibition room or the sea lion performance. Most of that was thanks to my eldest son’s ferry marathon (lol), but the time we spent just gazing at the beautiful scenery was also very healing.
The layout is very kid-friendly and the building is quite spacious, so if you go, I highly recommend setting aside plenty of time to fully enjoy it!
Aside: Recommended hotel with aquarium tickets included
There are several hotels where aquarium tickets are included in the room rate, and we stayed at one of them this time. To save on costs, we actually stayed in a “budget room with a catch” (yaku-ari), but it turned out to be an amazing, very kid-friendly hotel. I highly recommend it for anyone thinking of staying nearby!
