From “love” to “relationships,” Yokohama Kaiun Aquarium features several themed rooms filled with colorful fish. (Jennessa Davey/Stars and Stripes)
Often overlooked within the 300,000 square yards of Yokohama Chinatown’s shops and restaurants is a hidden gem, Kaiun Aquarium Fortune.
This “good luck” aquarium, which you’ll find on the third floor of China Square, features six themed rooms based on Chinese culture.
With English signs and friendly staff ready to help with ticket purchases and tours, Kaiun Aquarium Fortune is an easily accessible trip for the whole family.
From “love” to “relationships,” Yokohama Kaiun Aquarium features several themed rooms filled with colorful fish. (Jennessa Davey/Stars and Stripes)
Visitors begin in the Relationship Fortune room, which emphasizes coexistence by featuring two types of creatures living together. The Monetary Fortune room is next, with its variety of unique goldfish, including the Bubble Eye and Lionhead.
In the Color Fortune room you’ll find well-lit displays of vibrant species such as the bicolor dottyback and the harlequin filefish calmly floating around their tanks.
After the lively color room is the Health Zone that houses long-bodied creatures such as the white ribbon eel and the zebra eel to symbolize longevity in life.
Yokohama Kaiun Aquarium is an often-overlooked gem in the city's famous Chinatown. (Jennessa Davey/Stars and Stripes)
Yokohama Kaiun Aquarium is an often-overlooked gem in the city's famous Chinatown. (Jennessa Davey/Stars and Stripes)
In the Coral Zone, a colorful tank contains various fungiidae corals and jawfish.
The final section of the aquarium is called the Love Zone. Creatures in this room swim in pairs. The most interesting feature of the Love Zone is that fish like seahorses and angelfish share space with amphibious creatures such as Pacman frogs and axolotls.
After completing the aquarium’s loop, visitors can grab a souvenir, snack or drink before concluding moving on to other lively parts of Chinatown.
On the QT
Directions: 144 Yamashita-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture 231-0023. A short walk from most stations serving Yokohama Chinatown.
Times: Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday.
Costs: 1,400 yen for adults, 1,000 yen for students and 600 yen for children.
Food: There is a café at the end of the aquarium to enjoy tea and small snacks.
Website: Online: fortune-aquarium.com
