Kujyukushima Aquarium Umi Kirara

Kujukushima Aquarium Umikirara is an aquarium located within the Kujukushima Pearl Sea Resort, a multi-purpose seaside resort that serves as the gateway to the Kujukushima Islands. Kujukushima is an area designated as part of Saikai National Park, featuring a deeply indented ria coastline stretching approximately 288.5 kilometers and a sea area of about 25 kilometers from Sasebo Bay north to Hirado. Despite the name meaning “Ninety-Nine Islands,” the area actually consists of 208 islands, with “Kujuku” historically used since the Edo period to signify “a great many.” Most of these islands are uninhabited, with only four of the 208 having permanent residents. This region boasts the highest density of islands in Japan and is home to rich ecosystems, including animals that dwell in forests of evergreen broadleaf trees and a wide variety of marine life. Outstanding efforts in environmental conservation have preserved this natural environment, and in 2018, Kujukushima was recognized by a French nonprofit organization as one of the “Most Beautiful Bays in the World,” becoming the fifth such site in Japan to receive this designation. At Kujukushima Aquarium Umikirara, visitors can enjoy exhibits that feel as if the underwater world of Kujukushima itself has been brought indoors, along with a wide range of engaging hands-on programs offered on different days of the week. Access by public transportation is convenient: from “Sasebo Station” on the JR Kyushu Sasebo Line or the Matsuura Railway Nishi-Kyushu Line, take a local bus bound for “Pearl Sea Resort / Kujukushima Aquarium,” which takes about 25 minutes. By car, it is about a 7-minute drive from the Sasebo-Chuo Interchange on the Nishi-Kyushu Expressway. A free shuttle car also operates between Kujukushima Pearl Sea Resort (Umikirara and sightseeing boats) and Mori Kirara Zoo, making it easy to explore multiple attractions in the area.