Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, Okinawa

A northern Okinawa aquarium famous for its Kuroshio Sea tank, where whale sharks and giant manta rays swim: all of Okinawa's sea in one place.

Entrance of Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium with a sea-turtle mosaic fountain — Photo: sinnosuke uchida, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Living corals and small fish in the coral reef tank at Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium — Photo: そらみみ, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

"Churaumi" is an Okinawan word

Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium is in the town of Motobu, in the north of Okinawa's main island. Chura means "beautiful" in the Okinawan language, so Churaumi means "beautiful sea". It opened in November 2002.

The aquarium stands inside Ocean Expo Park, a national government park built on the site of the 1975 Okinawa International Ocean Exposition.

The Kuroshio Sea tank

The highlight is the Kuroshio Sea, a huge tank holding 7,500 cubic metres of water. It is 35 m wide, 27 m deep from front to back and 10 m deep, with a large acrylic panel set into the front. When the aquarium opened, this panel was the largest in the world.

In the tank, whale sharks, the largest fish in the world, and reef manta rays (a kind of large ray) swim alongside many other fish. In 2007 this aquarium became the first in the world to succeed in breeding manta rays in captivity. There is also the Aqua Room, where you can look at the tank from a different angle from the front panel.

From coral seas to the deep ocean

Inside, a series of tanks recreates the many different environments of Okinawa's sea. In the Coral Sea tank, about 470 coral colonies are being grown.

There is also the Deep Sea area, which recreates Okinawa's deep waters, where you can see deep-sea creatures you would not normally come across. Note that some creatures may not be on display, depending on their health.

Getting there

From Naha Airport it takes about 2 hours by car using the expressway. By bus, the Yanbaru Express Bus or the airport shuttle bus takes about 2 and a half hours from Naha Airport to the Kinen Koen-mae bus stop, followed by about a 10-minute walk.

Parking at Ocean Expo Park is free. Check the official website for opening hours and admission fees.

Tips

In front of the Kuroshio Sea tank there are 56 seats. Use them when you want to sit down and take your time watching.
It takes around 2 hours each way from Naha. Setting aside a whole day, and combining the aquarium with sightseeing on the Motobu Peninsula, gives you plenty of time.
It has been announced that the dolphin show in the park will be temporarily suspended from 4 to 9 January 2027. If you are going in winter, check the official website.