We recommend an efficient way to visit Toba TobaAquarium while meeting the increasingly popular sea otters and dugongs! From lunch to access

In this article, Hanachiro, who is the Mie Travel Ambassador of the Mie Prefecture Tourism Federation and has purchased an annual passport and frequents TobaAquarium with his family, will thoroughly explain how to enjoy TobaAquarium efficiently and recommended spots. I'll explain!

▼Table of contents

• TobaAquarium is full of unique charms
• Recommended model course for TobaAquarium!
• Access/Parking
• Entrance hall
• coral reef diving
• polar sea
• sea of mermaids
• Restaurant “Hana Sango”
• water corridor
• penguin walk
• Walrus interaction time
• sea lion show
• Experience program Back side exploration team! "Behind-the-scenes tour of the large aquarium and breeding site"
• souvenir
• Plenty of facilities for families with children
• Visit TobaAquarium which has many charms that can only be found here!

TobaAquarium is full of unique charms

TobaAquarium is a popular aquarium located in the center of TobaCity that has the largest number of species in Japan (approximately 1,200 species). Divided into 12 areas within the three-dimensional structure from the first floor to the third floor, the aquarium is popular because it can be viewed freely as an ``aquarium with no regular route''.

Among the many creatures, the Dugong, which is only bred in Japan at TobaAquarium, and the Sea Otter, where you can meet two of the three animals bred in Japan, are particularly popular. It is a tourist spot that represents Mie and is crowded with many visitors on holidays.

Recommended model course for TobaAquarium!

TobaAquarium is home to many creatures, and the appeal of it is that you can freely roam around without following a set route, but some people may be confused about where to start.
If you try to move around the museum at random and visit all the shows and aquariums, you won't have enough time in one day.
Especially if you are traveling with children, you may not be able to explore as much as you would like, and you may end up missing out on seeing popular creatures or being late for the show.

So, this time, I bought an annual pass with my family and have visited many times.I will recommend aquariums, recommended spots, and restaurants that you should definitely see, taking into consideration popular creatures such as sea otters, shows, and meal times. Introducing just a few!

If you read this article that focuses on "how to get around the facility" to the end, you will be able to fully enjoy the fascinating TobaAquarium! !

Access/Parking

First, I will explain about transportation and parking to TobaAquarium.
TobaAquarium has a parking lot for approximately 500 cars.
The fee is 800 yen or 500 yen once a day.
It becomes.
However, on holidays, there may be a line of cars waiting for the parking lot.
It often takes a long time to park, so we recommend that you plan your trip with plenty of time.
I recommend using the train.
Toba Aquarium is a 10-minute walk from JR/Kintetsu Toba Station, and Kintetsu Nakanogo Station is located right next to TobaAquarium TobaAquarium so access by train is excellent and you can easily enter the museum as planned. I can.

Entrance hall

The first thing that catches your eye as soon as you enter the museum is the large aquarium in the entrance hall.

In this aquarium, you can see colorful tropical fish and sea turtles swimming leisurely.
The creatures swimming in the large aquarium are impressive.

coral reef diving

The next thing you should visit after the entrance hall is "Coral Reef Diving."

This is a large aquarium that can be seen from the entrance hall, and the wall to ceiling is made of glass, creating a fantastical space that makes you feel as if you are diving.
​We recommend visiting right after entering the museum, especially in the morning when there are fewer visitors, so you can have this spectacular view to yourself!

polar sea

Next is the Polar Sea, where you can meet TobaAquarium 's most popular sea otters, Kira and Mei.
There are only three sea otters kept in captivity in Japan, two of which are kept at TobaAquarium.

Sea otters are not only rare nationwide, but also very popular for their adorable appearance and artistic abilities.
There is a crowd of people in front of the sea otter tank even on weekdays.

We recommend visiting the sea otters during the early morning hours when there are fewer visitors!
Especially during ``Sea Otter Meal Time,'' there are crowds of people, so if you're interested in seeing cute sea otters, be sure to get to the sea otter tank early.
​*In order to reduce crowding during "Sea Otter Meal Time," a "no-stopping area" has been established during certain hours on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, and the area has been changed to a "viewing area while walking." Please check before visiting.
Click here for meal times and notes on tours.

sea of mermaids

The next place we recommend is the ``Mermaid Sea'' where you can meet ``Dugongs'', which are popular at Toba TobaAquarium along with sea otters.

Toba Aquarium is the only TobaAquarium are kept!
Even if you look around the world, TobaAquarium and Sydney Aquarium in Australia are the only ones.

If you want to see dugongs, we recommend coming here in the morning!
The earlier the time of day, the clearer the water in the aquarium, allowing you to clearly observe the expressions of the dugongs as they swim leisurely.

Restaurant “Hana Sango”

When you're fascinated by the creatures at the aquarium, you'll probably get hungry! ?

TobaAquarium has two restaurants, but our family's favorite is "Hana Sango"!
Both restaurants are very popular, and there can be long lines on holidays.

Therefore, we recommend having lunch a little earlier, after 11 a.m., so you can avoid the lunch crowd and get around the museum more efficiently!

During lunch time, I ordered "Mei-chan Curry" and this curry was really cute!

This curry is so good that it would be a waste to break it down, but you can choose a sweet version to make it easier for children to eat.

The parfait I ordered for dessert was also very cute and featured a round-eyed walrus.

water corridor

The ``Water Corridor'' is an area located at the end of the facility adjacent to the area where the sea otters and dugongs were, and where otters, penguins, walruses, and more are kept.

The photo shows a pair of ``small-clawed otters.'' They move around quickly when awake, but they are also very adorable when they are sleeping, and they are very popular with children.

Penguins often swim right in front of us at the edge of the tank, and we can see them desperately trying to get closer.

The kids were so excited to see us swimming side by side at the edge of the tank while looking at our faces!

penguin walk

Furthermore, from 12:00 noon, a ``Penguin Walk'' is held, and the penguins parade in front of us.

During your walk, you can not only watch the penguins marching, but also hear trivia about penguins from the zookeepers and take quizzes.

sea lion show

Sea lion shows are held four times a day, and these shows are also very popular.
As a greeting, he deftly manipulated a doll standing on one leg, which drew applause from the audience!

At the sea lion show, they had a great time with the trainers as they high-jumped from the water to a ball in the air and caught a series of hoops thrown from a distance!
The "Performance Stadium" where the show will be held is located the farthest distance from the "Water Corridor" where the penguins and walruses are located.
The shows are held four times a day, so if you don't have much time, consider visiting all the shows and exhibits in the Water Corridor before heading there.

*Holding times: 10:00, 11:30, 13:00, 15:30

Walrus interaction time

During "Walrus Petting Time," a large walrus appears on stage and performs various tricks with explanations from the zookeeper.

Walruses are incredibly intelligent and can perform by understanding not only their body language but also their voices, which is why we see them over and over again every time we go to TobaAquarium.

The sight of the walrus approaching as close as you can reach is quite impressive!

You can actually touch the delicate beard and how cute it is. I was able to see their eyes up close.

Walrus interaction time 11:00・14:00

What my kids love about the water corridor is the corner where they can touch the fish directly.
Here, you can directly touch the aquarium where various sea creatures are kept.

My daughter was so excited when she was able to touch the fish that she looked like this!

In addition to fish, the aquarium is also home to an octopus like the one in the photo, which gives you a unique experience of touching it.

There is a hand-washing area next to the corner, so you can put your hands in the seawater without hesitation.

*When touching sea creatures, be careful not to push or grab them too hard.

Experience program Back side exploration team! "Behind-the-scenes tour of the large aquarium and breeding site"

If you're going to TobaAquarium, you should definitely try the "Uraside Exploration Team!" experience program.

This experience program is a tour that both children and adults will enjoy, so we highly recommend it!

On this tour, you can see the large coral reef diving tank that we introduced at the beginning while listening to explanations about the aquarium's breeding site from the backyard.

In the backyard, there is a sample of the glass actually used in TobaAquarium 's large aquarium, and the children were surprised at its thickness!

During the tour, we also got to see inside the huge refrigerator where the seafood that is the food for the aquarium's creatures is stored.

The kids were thrilled to see so much fish lined up in the refrigerator, more than we humans could possibly eat, and to see the temperature drop to -20 degrees!

You can even get your hands on horseshoe crab shells and shark eggs!

The appeal of this tour is that you can see behind the scenes of the aquarium, including the actual breeding sites and large-scale equipment that you cannot normally see.
This tour is held only on Sundays, and the participation fee is 500 yen for ages 3 and older.
Reservations are required until the day before (if the seats are not full, we will accept applications at the information desk on the day), so if your schedule allows, please come and join us!
I really recommend it!

souvenir

Before heading home, we of course stop by the souvenir shop.

TobaAquarium 's stuffed animals are affordable and very cute!

Every time I go, he asks for a new stuffed animal, so we have a lot of stuffed animals at home...lol

Plenty of facilities for families with children

TobaAquarium is fully equipped so that even small children and people with disabilities can go out with peace of mind.

In addition to the baby's room, there are also elevators and ramps so that strollers and wheelchairs can move around the facility.

Visit TobaAquarium which has many charms that can only be found here!

Among TobaAquarium, which children love and have visited many times, we have narrowed down the points we particularly recommend and introduced a model course.
What I have introduced this time is just a small part of TobaAquarium, focusing on the points that I personally want to see.
If you're looking for a spot to go out with your family, be sure to plan a trip to TobaAquarium, where the whole family can enjoy regardless of the weather!

TobaAquarium basic information

Address: 3-3-6 Toba, TobaCity, Mie Prefecture
Phone number: 0599-25-2555

Thank you for watching until the end.
In addition to this article, we have also posted articles introducing recommended spots in Mie, so please check them out as well.

 

 

 

 

 

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I will continue to post articles on sightseeing in Mie, so please stay tuned.