A penguin swims playfully past Aqua Museum visitors at Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise near Yokohama, Japan, Oct. 1, 2023. (Claire Jenq/Stars and Stripes)
A whole day of amusement awaits on a man-made island in Tokyo Bay.
Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise is the perfect nearby day trip, or weekend getaway, for couples, families and friends to enjoy aquatic fun.
The park is a mere 30-minute drive from Yokosuka Naval Base. A large parking lot for visitors costs 1,500 yen (about $10) on weekdays and 2,000 yen on weekends. It’s a good deal for a park with no entrance fee.
Enjoy the picturesque views of Tokyo Bay as you cross the large bridge to the park. Visitors are met with a retro-looking merry-go-round, which was made at a specialty store in San Francisco, according to the Sea Paradise website.
Aqua Museum visitors take videos of two napping red pandas at Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise near Yokohama, Japan, Oct. 1, 2023. (Claire Jenq/Stars and Stripes)
With no entrance fee, the park provides vending machines where visitors can pay for individual rides near the attractions. Rides for smaller children, such as the Butterfly Rider and the Bubble Shooter, are 400 yen. The park’s largest ride, the Surf Coaster Leviathan, costs 1,100 yen.
The pyramid-shaped Aqua Museum aquarium is the main draw at Sea Paradise. Kiosks here sell day passes (5,600 yen (about $37) for adults and 4,000 yen for children) that give visitors access to all four aquariums on the island and one ride. Aquarium-only tickets are available for 3,300 yen for adults and 2,000 yen for children.
A large sea turtle swims inside the Aqua Museum aquarium at Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise near Yokohama, Japan, Oct. 1, 2023. (Claire Jenq/Stars and Stripes)
The stunning amount of sea life kept in the aquariums makes the price worth it. In addition to ocean fish, the aquarium keeps beluga whales, polar bears, walruses and penguins. Two great white sharks swim ominously in one large, darkened tank. Strange looking deepwater isopods and Japanese spider crabs crept gingerly across the floor in another.
Near the top of the aquarium is an outdoor section with red pandas, capybaras, prairie dogs and a Patagonian mara, a large rodent that looks like a cross between a hare and a capybara. On the same floor, visitors can watch dolphins, beluga whales and penguins perform at Aqua Stadium.
Dolphin Fantasy offers visitors a closer look at the park’s dolphins by allowing visitors to walk through an aquarium tunnel. For an even more hands-on experience, make a reservation at the Fureai Lagoon to swim and pet dolphins, penguins and seals.
Visitors walk down a dock to Umi Farm, where they can catch their own fish to eat at Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise near Yokohama, Japan, Oct. 1, 2023. (Claire Jenq/Stars and Stripes)
The final aquarium, Umi Farm, is on a floating dock in the bay. Visitors can reserve a time to fish in stocked areas. There is a strict rule in place to prevent any waste: You may keep only what you will eat.
At the end of the dock are restaurants that have been specifically set up to process fish. Visitors can choose to either barbecue their catch themselves at the Seafood & Grill Yakiya or visit the more casual Umi Kitchen Farm to watch workers grill or fry it up.
An Umi Farm Kitchen worker prepares freshly caught fish at Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise near Yokohama, Japan, Oct. 1, 2023. (Claire Jenq/Stars and Stripes)
Should you run out of activities after riding the attractions, visiting the aquariums and eating at the park’s many restaurants and food stalls, there are also gift shops, bumper cars, island tours and even a fish pedicure station.
An on-site hotel means your day trip can easily become a weekend trip, with plenty of amenities your whole crew can enjoy.
People enjoy a barbecue at Seafood & Grill YAKIYA, part of Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise near Yokohama, Japan, Oct. 1, 2023. (Claire Jenq/Stars and Stripes)
On the QT
Directions: A half-hour drive from Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan. Hakkeijima, Kanazawa Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 236-0006
Times: Open 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Costs: Park admission is free, with passes sold for individual attractions.
Food: A central food court and many restaurant options, including Hawaiian, Japanese and Chinese-themed eateries.
Information: 045-788-8888; www.seaparadise.co.jp/en/language/en/index.html
