アクアワールド茨城県大洗水族館

Aqua World Ibaraki Oarai Aquarium is an aquarium known especially for sharks and sunfish (mola). It keeps 59 shark species—the most in Japan—ranging from familiar types like dogfish and zebra sharks to species that don’t look shark-like at first glance. Sunfish are very delicate and are often kept individually, but here you can see multiple sunfish together in Japan’s largest dedicated sunfish tank; a huge sunfish taxidermy specimen about 3 meters long is also a must-see. Other highlights include the “”Encounter Sea Large Tank”” where you can meet 80 species and 20,000 fish, jellyfish tanks, and a kids’ zone where visitors can touch marine life. The souvenir shop sells original character goods and miscellaneous items, and you can even buy a real shark jawbone. Dining is also easy thanks to a food court with 12 shops. Access is about 6 minutes by bus from the Hitachinaka Seaside Railway “”Nakaminato Station,”” or about 15 minutes by bus from the Oarai Kashima Line “”Oarai Station.”