Shinagawa Aquarium — Attraction in Tokyo

To put it bluntly, Shinagawa Aquarium's displays range widely in quality. This varying standard diversity is matched only by the variety of aquatic life in the aquarium. There are plenty of unique tanks (including a very popular touch pool) that aren't to be missed at the Shinagawa Aquarium. Oddly, the restaurant is located outside of the aquarium which decreases its appeal.

There are newer, larger and more innovative aquariums in Japan but except for Tokyo Sea Life Park they aren't anywhere near Tokyo. Shinagawa Aquarium is well worth seeing for those in the Tokyo region.

Getting There

Of the two train lines that run along the coast south of Tokyo, Keihin runs the one with the closest stop (Omori-Kaigan Station) to Shinagawa Aquarium. Keihin's line only connects from Shinagawa Station to Haneda Airport so you'll have to change trains at Shinagawa Station if you're coming from somewhere else in Tokyo. JR Omori Station on the Keihin-Tohoku Line is a 15 minute walk and the other is only 8 minutes away.

A free shuttle bus operates between JR Oimachi Station and Shinagawa Aquarium. This is a major train line intersection between Shinagawa station and the aquarium. The buses are at 15 minute intervals at peak times and departs from the number 6 bus stop. The bus ride takes about 15 minutes.

A water taxi from Hinode Pier goes to Shinagawa Aquarium. One way combo tickets can be bought at both sides. This route does not operate when the aquarium is closed.

The parking lot is on the expensive side (100 yen for 20 minutes) and may be full during peak times. If you drive, approach from the south to enter. There are maps on the website but are only...

Shinagawa Aquarium

This is a relatively small aquarium, consists of two levels. The first level is where you see the dolphin and seal show. The dolphin and seal show are on quite often, however do make sure that you secure a seat at least 15' before the start of the show to avoid having to stand and watch. The show itself is ok, not too involved or happening but entertaining enough. The lower level is where you find most of the aquarium display such as sharks, jelly fish, turtles etc... The highlight of the aquarium must be the pearl removal experience. It costs 1000 yen per pop if you buy on the spot, or 640 yen if you book online. You get to either keep the pearl as is, or if you pay extra (depending on your selection, cost varies from 1000 y to 3000 y), the staff with make a necklace, earring etc... for you using the pearl you extracted. This will take extra 30mins. The aquarium only has one restaurant nearby. The wait is extremely long even on weekday (they do not fill up the restaurant due to Covid measures). So make sure you either have lunch very early or very late.

Overall, the aquarium itself is so so, but the pearl removal experience was very unique and interesting. Make sure you do it if you visit...

It's a small aquarium and it's crowded but they have many shows including a dolphin show, sea lion show and a diver swimming with the fishes and turtles in the tunnel aquarium. We visited on a Sunday afternoon and we got tickets from the vending machine without waiting in line. There's a ticket office with a person in there as well. The dolphin show was the first thing we saw and we found it very entertaining, comparable to the skill of the dolphis we saw in Lisbon. The trainers don't get into the water, the size of the tank doesn't allow it. After visiting the rest of the aquarium we realised that the tiny show area is the largest space the 5 dolphins have access to. That's shocking. It is so so so tiny compared to European standards. We felt sad for the dolphins and didn't stay for other outdoor shows. The ticket price is reasonable and it grants access back into the aquarium during the entire day. It's a shame that the tanks are so small for the creatures that...