Sunshine City Aquarium

During my stay in Tokyo I have visited 2 aquarium galleries,  

1. Shinagawa Aquarium  
2. Sunshine City Aquarium. 

The Sunshine International Aquarium is located in the the Sunshine City building. This building also have an observatory in the topmost floor which can be reached by the elevator at a tremendous speed. The main attractions of Sunshine City Aquarium are seal and sea lion show, a feeding show with manta rays, utsubo, which is a very large fish that looks like a coin, and a large number of freshwater, brackish and saltwater tanks. The Sunshine City Aquarium also has an enclosure of penguins, another of some pelicans and a big enclosure of some land animals like monkeys, macaws, armadillo, anteater and something that looks like a mix between a deer and a rabbit where some persons can enter and have a stay with close proximity with the animals. The Sunshine City Aquarium is not a very big aquarium but it has a good variety of fish and sea life. The aquarium also has a section where you can touch and connect various type of animals, fish, birds, reptiles etc. which is very innovative and must conscious people about conservation of these beautiful animals.

The Sunshine International Aquarium has one the endangered Eastern Snake Neck Turtle. There are tanks featuring marine life from virtually all waters of the world. Several tanks showcase the diversity of Japan's coast, while others tour around Australia, the Caribbean, fresh water fish from the Amazon, Thailand and Africa, deep water fish and jellyfish.

The biggest tank, which holds the manta rays and utsubo, has a feeding show every couple of hours; a diver goes in and handfeeds some of the fish. Especially interesting is to see the manta ray devour in one gulp a baby octopus. During the show the diver tells something in Japanese which I could not understand but the children likes the show very much. They also give torch during the show in the evening and switch off the lights inside the aquarium to give a feeling of diving in dark underwater.

 

 


It is to be mentioned that they maintain natural day evening night like light period in all the tanks. Watch the same tank during morning and evening lights below:

The sealion show in the Sunshine Aquarium is really interesting. It can calculate mathematical addition somehow. Because the sea lions have been taught Japanese manners, it's a really interesting display. Notably, they've been taught to bow. This is definitely a great place to take your children to spend a pleasant afternoon. Some of the attendants speak English, there's an English pamphlet, and the bigger exhibits are marked in English. There's a really cool underwater demonstration in one of the tanks, but it is only available in Japanese. Only downside is that I think it is somewhat expensive, 1800 yen for adults and 900 yen for children ages 4 though 15. Children under 4 are admitted free of charge.

Some photos of the saltwater or marine tanks in Sunshine Aquarium:

A School of RedDevil Cichlids and Midas Cichlid and Oscar fand couple of turtles in Sunshine City Aquarium including a breeding pair of red devil who actually bred when I visited:

There are some species of poison dart frogs in paludariums in a section of the Sunshine aquarium gallery and they are stunning.

The skeletons, the different colors showing how soft or hard the bones are:

The Mangrove Biotope tank in Sunshine Aquarium:

Some more freshwater tanks in Sunshine Aquarium:

 

Some Reptiles in the Sunshine Aquarium:

There is one very interesting creature, the Japanese giant salamandar in Sunshine Aquarium.

And some mysterious creatures in Sunshine Aquarium:

The Sunfish

The Penguins are real cute and so are the pelicans:

I managed to enter inside the enclosure of the land animals and birds, and guess what they are all running and walking beside my legs. And believe me, froma close proximity macao are only good to see, not to listen to their angry voice:

And lastly the section where people can touch (I have touched a shark baby, with a slightly rough skin in one direction and very smooth in the opposite direction, it was a great feeling) the creatures and go real close to them:

How to Reach Sunshine Aquarium:

The skeleton near ticket counnter

While the aquarium is part of the Sunshine City complex, it's actually at the top of the World Import Mart. Once you get to Sunshine City, you can get directions. There's an information desk down stairs, and the attendant there can give you directions to the aquarium in English.

Nearest Station: Higashi-ikebukuro

Address of Sunshine Aquarium: World Import Mart Bldg., Sunshinecity, 3-1 Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo.
Telephone: 03-3989-3466

Home Page of Sunshine Aquarium: http://www.sunshinecity.co.jp (In Japanese)

Timing of Sunshine Aquarium:  Mon-Fri 10:00am-6:00pm; Sat, Sun & Holidays 10:00am-6:30pm; Entrance is allowed until 30 minutes before closing time.

 Entry Fees of Sunshine Aquarium: 

Adults: 1800 yen,

Children(from 4 years to Grade School): 900 yen