One of the finest aquariums in Japan, occupying a large building on the artificial island of Tempozan in Osaka Bay. The design is built around a massive central Pacific Ocean tank that spans multiple floors; visitors spiral down through it on a ramp, passing through recreated ecosystems from the Aleutian Islands through the Japanese Forest and Pacific Ocean to the Antarctic.
The whale sharks in the central tank are the most famous residents, and Kaiyukan is one of only a handful of facilities in the world that keeps them in captivity. The aquarium also has manta rays, sea otters, beluga whales in a side tank, and outdoor exhibits including a population of Antarctic penguins. Combined with the nearby Tempozan Ferris wheel, it makes a good half-day or full-day excursion from the centre.