すみだ水族館 SUMIDA AQUARIUM
On the fifth and sixth floor of the West Yard of Skytree Town in Tokyo Skytree you will find the Sumida Aquarium. There are multiple exhibits with artfully arranged and lit tanks in dimly lit corridors and rooms. There is no specific course; instead, visitors are encouraged to roam and explore freely. A highlight is the “Animals Enjoying Water” exhibit of penguins and fur seals, large pools which you can walk around and enjoy from many angles.
Tokyo Skytree & Tokyo Solamachi
There are five labs, which are interactive spaces where visitors are encouraged to ask questions and see the daily working activities of Sumida aquarium staff. For example, there are labs that have tanks with stages of the lives of jellyfish and coral. In one lab there are microscopes where visitors can look at things like fish teeth and scales.
Sumida Aquarium fish Tokyo Skytree Town
The staff is not trained in English, though there may be some members who can communicate, so without the interaction of explanations the labs may be less exciting for foreign visitors.
The facilities are clean, modern, and barrier-free. There are two nursing rooms and bathrooms have diaper changing tables. There is a gift shop with unique products, several cafes that serve meals, desserts, and drinks, and a photo shop. The photo shop is produced in coordination with Studio Alice, so visitors can get unique souvenirs customized with backgrounds and characters such as Nemo from Disney’s movie Finding Nemo.
Sumida Aquarium shark @ Tokyo Skytree Town
The Sumida aquarium is open 9 am to 9 pm, with no scheduled closed days during the year. There are group rates, annual passes, and discounts for disabled visitors, but the basic entrance fees are ¥2000 for adults, ¥1500 for high school students, ¥1000 for elementary and junior high school students, and ¥600 for 3 years old and older. The museum asks to see school ID cards for the lower entrance fees, but a passport should be acceptable. The closest public transportation is the Tokyo Skytree Station on the Tobu Skytree line. For more information: http://www.sumida-aquarium.com/en/
photos by:
june29 &
Dick Thomas Johnson,
Zengame
