Nagoya · Garden PierNo.1047★★Open in map →

Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium

natureOff the trail — and worth it

A two-wing aquarium on Nagoya's Garden Pier, built around a performance pool large enough for orca training. The south wing follows the sea route to Antarctica, and the north wing covers the mammals that went back to the ocean.

FromNagoya Station
1 change + 5 min walkSubway Meiko Line, last stop
Get off atNagoyako Station (Subway Meiko Line)
On foot
Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium

Directions ↗

The sweet spot

This is one of Nagoya's headline attractions and it fills with families on holidays, so it is not a quiet find. What gets missed is that the main pool can be taken in from two levels — the poolside deck above and the underwater window below — and that the two views are different enough to be worth splitting between sessions.

Where it is

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What to look for — in walking order

Kuroshio TankHyppolyte de Saint-Rambert / CC BY 4.0

Kuroshio Tankthe south wing's largest tank, where a school of sardines turns in a slow column
Coral reef tankan equatorial-sea tank that rises through three floors of the south wing
Antarctic zonea chilled room at the top of the south wing holding several penguin species
Main poolthe north wing's performance pool, seen from the deck above the water
Underwater viewing gallerya long window onto the same pool from one floor below

How to actually get there

Nagoya Station → Sakae (Higashiyama subway line).
Sakae → Nagoyako (Meijo Line train signed for Nagoyako, the last stop).
Nagoyako Station exit 3 → aquarium entrance (walk about 5 minutes).
South wing (Kuroshio Tank → coral reef tank → Antarctic zone) → north wing (main pool → underwater gallery).

Subway to the end of the Meiko Line: From Nagoya Station take the Higashiyama subway line to Sakae, then change to a Meijo Line train signed for Nagoyako, which is the last stop. The aquarium is about a five-minute walk from exit 3. IC cards work across the subway network.
Return from Nagoyako Station: Nagoyako is a terminus, so trains leave in one direction only. Ride back to Sakae and change to the Higashiyama Line for Nagoya Station. Services thin out late in the evening, so check the last departure if you stay for an evening session.

Directions from my location (Google Maps) ↗

About the place

The aquarium stands on Garden Pier, the waterfront at the end of the Meiko subway line in Nagoya's Minato ward. It is split into two wings joined by a passage. The south wing is themed as a voyage to Antarctica, setting out five sea areas along the course an icebreaker takes from Japan to the polar ice. The north wing follows the animals that went back to the sea, and holds the belugas, dolphins and orcas. Its main pool measures 60 metres wide by 30 metres front to back, with a maximum water depth of 12 metres. A gallery one floor below opens onto the same pool through an underwater window.

How to enjoy it

Doors open at 9:30 and last admission is one hour before closing, so a morning start leaves room for both wings. Closing time shifts with the season, and the official calendar carries the day's hours along with the pool schedule. Watch one session from the deck and a later one from the underwater gallery.

Background & history

The south wing opened in October 1992 as the city's aquarium on reclaimed port land. The north wing followed in November 2001, adding the large pool and the whale and dolphin displays the site is now known for. Both are run by the Nagoya Port Foundation, a public-interest body that also looks after other attractions on the same pier. The two-stage build still shapes the place: the older wing tells a story, the newer one is arranged around a single body of water.

Before you go

Cash: Admission at the time of checking was 2,030 yen for adults and high school students, 1,010 yen for primary and junior high school students, and 500 yen for children aged four and over. A cheaper evening ticket is sold once the late opening begins, and a combined ticket covers the aquarium together with other Garden Pier attractions, including the icebreaker Fuji. Advance tickets are also sold at convenience stores.
Good to know: The aquarium closes on Mondays, moving to the following day when a public holiday falls on a Monday, and it stays open through Golden Week, July to September, and the school holiday periods. Closing time changes with the season, so check the official calendar for the date you plan to go. Everything is indoors, so rain makes no difference.
Another way: Kanayama is the other useful gateway: JR, Meitetsu and the subway all meet there, and Meiko Line trains for Nagoyako run from it. By car, use the Garden Pier car parks, which serve the whole waterfront; the official site warns that getting in and out takes time at weekends.
After you get off: Leave Nagoyako Station by exit 3 and walk about five minutes toward the water. The route is signposted.