Japan is Nippon 日本語
Dolphins leaping in the outdoor show pool of Enoshima Aquarium, with Enoshima Island behind
Photo: baggio4ever, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Kanagawa · zoo aquarium

Enoshima Aquarium

新江ノ島水族館

A seaside aquarium near Enoshima focused on Sagami Bay: a school of about 8,000 sardines, jellyfish shaped by long research and dolphin shows by the sea.

Large school of sardines swirling in the big Sagami Bay tank at Enoshima Aquarium
Photo: baggio4ever, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Spotted jellyfish drifting in a blue-lit tank at Enoshima Aquarium
Photo: baggio4ever, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

An aquarium for getting to know Sagami Bay

Enoshima Aquarium (nicknamed "Enosui") is on Katase Beach in Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture. Its predecessor, the old Enoshima Aquarium, opened in 1954 and closed at the end of 2003, and the aquarium reopened in its current form in April 2004.

Its theme is Sagami Bay, the sea right in front of it. Close to the open ocean where warm and cold currents meet, and with every kind of habitat from the deep sea to rocky shores, sandy beaches and tidal flats, Sagami Bay is home to a huge variety of sea life.

A huge sardine school and the jellyfish

The largest tank is the Sagami Bay Tank. Sagami Bay is known for its good sardine catches, and in this tank about 8,000 Japanese sardines flash silver as they swim, the school constantly changing shape.

Enosui is also known for its jellyfish. The Jellyfish Fantasy Hall is a half-dome space designed to feel like the inside of a jellyfish, where 13 tanks of various sizes on the walls and a spherical tank in the middle always hold about 14 kinds of jellyfish. It draws on more than 70 years of jellyfish-keeping research going back to the old aquarium.

In the deep-sea corner, you can learn about Shinkai 2000, Japan's first full-scale crewed research submersible. Both its first and last dives were in Sagami Bay, and it is said to have dived there more than anywhere else. Another display introduces the research on marine life that Emperor Showa and the Emperor Emeritus carried out in Sagami Bay.

Dolphin shows and hands-on encounters

Dolphin shows are held at the Dolphin Show Stadium, right beside the sea. There are also penguins, seals, otters and sea turtles, plus hands-on programmes where you can shake hands with a dolphin or feed sea lions and fish.

Show and programme times change from day to day, so check the day's timetable on the official website.

Getting there

The nearest station is Katase-Enoshima on the Odakyu Enoshima Line, about 3 minutes' walk away. From Enoshima Station on the Enoshima Electric Railway (Enoden) or Shonan-Enoshima Station on the Shonan Monorail, it is about 10 minutes on foot.

The aquarium has no car park of its own, so you would have to use paid car parks nearby; the train is the better option. Opening hours and prices vary with the season, so check the official website.

Tips

  • The official website has a page forecasting how crowded the aquarium will be, so you can check in advance.
  • Shows and animal encounter programmes run at set times. When you arrive, check the timetable first and plan the order of what you want to see.

Sources

Updated 30 September 2026. Opening hours and prices change, so check the official site before you go.

Keep exploring

Nearby places

Kanagawa · temple Kotoku-in (Great Buddha of Kamakura) 鎌倉大仏殿高徳院 A Kamakura temple where a bronze Great Buddha made over 700 years ago sits in the open air. Kamakura's only National Treasure Buddha, and you can go inside.
Kanagawa · shrine Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine 鶴岡八幡宮 Minamoto no Yoritomo's shrine at the heart of Kamakura, the samurai capital, with city views from its great stone steps and 800 years of horseback archery.
Kanagawa · old town Yokohama Chinatown 横浜中華街 Japan's largest Chinatown, with over 600 shops packed into about 500 m square. Graze on street food as you take in colourful gates and Chinese temples.
Kanagawa · landmark Yokohama Landmark Tower 横浜ランドマークタワー The 296 m skyscraper that symbolises Minato Mirai 21, with a Meiji-era stone dock at its feet: old and new port-city Yokohama in one place.
Kanagawa · park Yamashita Park 山下公園 A seaside park on Yokohama Port, built on rubble from the Great Kanto Earthquake. See the moored Hikawa Maru, the Bay Bridge and, in spring and autumn, roses.
Kanagawa · historic site Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse 横浜赤レンガ倉庫 Two brick warehouses built by the state in the Meiji and Taisho eras, now a waterfront home for shops and events, with seasonal events worth coming back for.