North Okinawa · MotobuNo.680★★★Open in map →

Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium

entertainmentThe classic — done right

Okinawa's most visited sight, on the Motobu coast at the far northwest of the main island. Its central tank is among the largest anywhere, and whale sharks and manta rays are kept together in it.

FromNaha Airport
~2 hr 30 minExpress bus, direct from the airport
Get off atKinen-koen-mae bus stop (Yanbaru Express Bus / Route 117)
On foot
Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium

Directions ↗

Where it is

41 more notes in Okinawa · open the map →

What to look for — in walking order

Great Sea entrance, fourth floorthe start of the route, looking down into the tanks that come later
Coral Sea, third flooran open-topped tank growing reef coral under natural sunlight
Kuroshio Sea viewing hall, second floorthe acrylic wall of the main tank, with seating set out in front of it
Whale Shark and Manta Ray cornera smaller room explaining the two animals the big tank is known for
Sea of the Deep, first floordimmed tanks holding animals raised from below the shelf

How to actually get there

Naha Airport → Kinen-koen-mae bus stop (direct express bus, about 2 hr 30 min).
Kinen-koen-mae → aquarium entrance (walk about 10 min through Ocean Expo Park).
Enter on the fourth floor and work downward to the first, ending at the deep-sea tanks.
Walk back up to Kinen-koen-mae for the southbound bus, with the departure time already checked.

Direct express bus from Naha Airport: Several operators run direct to Kinen-koen-mae, the stop for Ocean Expo Park: the Yanbaru Express Bus, the Okinawa Airport Shuttle, Route 117 and the Churaumi Liner. The ride takes about two and a half hours. Fares differ between operators, so check with the company you board rather than assuming a single price.
Return to Naha from Kinen-koen-mae: The same operators run southbound from the same stop. Services thin out through the late afternoon and the last departures are earlier than city timetables suggest, so fix a return time before you go in rather than after. Route 111 requires a change at Nago Bus Terminal.

Directions from my location (Google Maps) ↗

About the place

The aquarium stands inside Ocean Expo Park, on the Motobu peninsula at the northwest corner of Okinawa's main island. Its centre is the Kuroshio Sea, a tank holding 7,500 cubic metres of water and measuring 35 metres wide, 27 metres front to back and 10 metres from surface to floor. Whale sharks, the largest fish in the sea, are kept in it. This aquarium is credited with the first long-term husbandry of the species, and with the only captive breeding of the oceanic manta ray. The building is set into a slope above the sea, so the entrance sits at the top.

How to enjoy it

Doors open at 8:30, and the first hour is when you can stand at the acrylic wall without waiting for a gap. In summer the closing time moves back into the evening, and the hall goes dark enough that the tank becomes the only light in the room. The park itself is large, so leave time for the walk between gate and door in both directions.

Background & history

This stretch of coast was the ground of an international ocean exposition held in 1975. When the fair closed, the state kept the site and opened it as Ocean Expo Park in 1976. The aquarium became the park's centrepiece. Its two husbandry records — the first long-term keeping of whale sharks, the first breeding of oceanic manta rays — are what carried the name beyond Japan.

Before you go

Cash: Admission for an adult is 2,180 yen, and children under six enter free. Ocean Expo Park around the aquarium is free to walk, though several other buildings inside the park charge separately.
Good to know: The aquarium runs year-round and has no scheduled closing days at present. Typhoons can shut it at short notice, so read the official site on the morning you travel. Some other park facilities close on Wednesdays even when the aquarium does not.
Another way: By car it is about two hours from Naha Airport using the expressway, and the park has paid parking. If you are already as far north as Nago, west-coast local buses reach the same stop without going back to Naha first.
After you get off: From Kinen-koen-mae the walk to the aquarium entrance takes about ten minutes, downhill through the park from its northern side. The grounds are large, so follow the signs marked for the aquarium rather than entering at the first gate you see.