[Gamagori] Takeshima Aquarium: The 4th Smallest Aquarium in Japan with Unique Atmosphere!

Have you heard of Takeshima Aquarium which is very popular due to its uniqueness?

Takeshima Aquarium was built in 1962 in Gamagori City, Aichi Prefecture, and is the fourth smallest aquarium in Japan. There are no large water tank or dolphin shows. However, the number of visitors has increased year by year, reaching a record high of 450,000 in 2018! We would like to take a closer look at the charm of Takeshima Aquarium, which is currently a hot topic with comments such as "The unique exhibits are hilarious!" and "It's so interesting that I want an annual pass!"

*June 2023: Information update

What is Takeshima Aquarium?

A moon jellyfish greeted me at the place right at the entrance.

The inside of the museum is large enough to be explored in 10 to 15 minutes.

Takeshima Aquarium is a municipal aquarium located in Takeshima-cho, Gamagori City, Aichi Prefecture. Since it's run by the city, the price is quite reasonable at 500 yen for adults (200 yen for elementary and junior high school students).

However, the contents of the exhibition are quite authentic, and there are always about 4,500 creatures of about 500 species on display in the museum. About 100 kinds of deep-sea fish caught by local fishermen off the coast of Mie and Wakayama are introduced, including the rare Steller's sea crocodile shark and Japanese spider crab.

Staff introduction pop. This alone is pretty funny.

The appeal of Takeshima Aquarium is, above all, its homely feel. Everywhere in the museum, there are unique handwritten signs and explanatory notes that will make you laugh. You can really feel the thoughtfulness of the staff, who want you to have a fun time!

This time, I would like to introduce four points about the charm of Takeshima Aquarium!

Four Charms of Takeshima Aquarium

① I can't help but laugh! Unique handwritten pop-ups

Handwritten pop-ups are essential to introducing Takeshima Aquarium! Takeshima Aquarium is said to be the aquarium with the most read explanations in Japan. Inside the museum, there are handwritten signs posted everywhere, giving it a handmade feel! The unique illustrations are addictive.

"It's hard for fish to get along with their neighbors." In the explanation of Jawfish, there is an illustration of the "ROOKIE JOE"!

Bird Beak's commentary is "amazing suction power". The title alone makes me read it.

Redtail cats are said to be very bold these days. LOL Reading these commentaries makes me feel very familiar with the fish.

Among pop-ups, the one that has become a hot topic in particular is the "Gyo-reki-sho (fish CV)." Work history, qualifications, what kind of aquarium do you want to live in? And so on, it is introduced in a resume format, as if the fishes are humans. It's interesting one by one and I just read it. Just reading the commentary will make you stay quite long, so be careful not to forget the time.

② Display method that takes advantage of the habits of living things

The second point is the exhibition method that makes use of the habits of living things. For example, here is the “Scorpionfish Mansion,” which makes use of the scorpionfish’s habit of liking small spaces.

"Maeda" in room 301 and "Yuriyan" in room 204. The scorpionfish were relaxing.

This is the "moray eel corps aquarium" that takes advantage of the unique and somewhat eerie pattern of moray eels. It's more like a work of art.

"Coral from above" was renewed when it reopened in 2018. The aquarium has been completely redesigned to be made of acrylic, so you can now see it from the side as well, instead of just looking into it from above. You can observe the beautiful coral carefully.

③ You can touch precious deep-sea creatures! "Sawarin Pool"

The touch pool "Sawarin Pool" is a very popular corner that has helped increase the number of visitors to Takeshima Aquarium.

During the winter season, you can touch spider crabs, giant beetles, and crab crabs. In summer, you can touch familiar sea creatures! (*Sometimes there are deep sea creatures)

The very popular "Ogusokumushi (Bathynomus doederleinii)"

At first, I was a little reluctant because of the alien-like appearance, but as I interacted with it, I started to think of it as cute.

"Igaguri crab (Paralomis hystrix)" lives in the deep sea at a depth of 200 to 600m.

"Uchiwaebi (fan lobster)" Even if it looks like this, it's actually a shrimp.

"Nanuka shark" Its stomach is puni-puni (squishy!).

Powerful "Japanese Spider Crab"

At the "Paku Paku Fish Pool", you can experience feeding them for 100 to 300 yen! A sea turtle was also there.

④ Looseness is attractive! sea lion show

At Takeshima Aquarium, there are no big and impressive dolphin shows, but they do hold shows that are charming in their relaxed nature.

The "Sea Lion Show" is presented by Love-chan, a sea lion from Chile, South America.

It shows the performance of ball and ring toss. The dialogue with the trainer was like a skit show, and the venue was filled with laughter. It is attractive to be seen from a short distance!

"Since there are no dolphins at Takeshima Aquarium, we will have Love-chan do the things that dolphins do at other aquariums," including jumping out of the water! It was my first time to see a sea lion jump. (Be careful as there will be a lot of water after the jump)

The duration of one show is about 15-20 minutes. It is held at 10:30, 12:00 (only on weekends and holidays), 13:30, and 15:00. From around 16:00, open practice is held, and you can observe the events of the show and the practice of new techniques.

From January 2019, the South American fur seals, who have newly joined the group, have started public training, so be sure to check it out as well.

Unique Gift Shop

Finally, let's go to the souvenir corner!

"Super Gusokumushi Senbei", which is a rice cracker sprinkled with powder of giant beetle. "Super moray eel sable" with 15 times more edible moray eel in one of the seven. Unique souvenirs are lined up, such as the “Capybara no Otoshimono,” which is a chocolate candy that is pulled out from the buttocks.

All of them have a big impact, but they are delicious sweets, so don't worry! The “Super Gusokumushi Senbei” is so popular that it has sold over 10,000 boxes.

Takesui-exclusive gacha-gacha machines and original name stickers are perfect for commemorating your visit!

Visit Takeshima Aquarium when you are in Gamagori!
Annual passes are also reasonable!

It was an aquarium with such a unique charm that I could convince myself that it was so interesting that I wanted an annual pass! By the way, the annual pass is 1,250 yen, which is also reasonable.

At a typical aquarium, people are drawn to the impressiveness of the large aquarium and the beauty of the many creatures, so not many people take the time to read the explanations. However, in the case of Takeshima Aquarium, while enjoying the unique handwritten pop-up content, I realized that I could also learn a lot about living things. Takeshima Aquarium is a place where you can have fun, interact, and learn. This is a recommended spot that you should definitely visit when you visit Gamagori!