Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan

Penguins, a whale shark tank eight stories deep, and a jellyfish room that outlasted the light — an evening at one of Japan's biggest aquariums.

December 31, 2010Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan, Osaka, JapanNikon D90 · 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 · f/3.5-8, ISO 200-1600

The last afternoon of the year, spent at Kaiyukan — one of Japan’s largest aquariums, built around a single deep central tank that visitors spiral down past floor by floor. Arrived while there was still daylight outside; left well after dark.

Penguins and the First Tanks

Penguins in their enclosure at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan — The penguin enclosure, 15:33.

Wide view of the penguin enclosure at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan — A wider view a minute later.

A sea lion at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan — A sea lion, 16:05.

A tortoise at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan — A tortoise, 16:07.

Fish in a tank at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan — A tank of fish, 16:14.

A second view of fish in a tank at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan — A minute earlier, the same tank.

Wide view of a fish tank at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan — The same tank, full width, 16:18.

Dolphins

A dolphin at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan — 16:31.

A second view of a dolphin at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan — A moment later.

A third view of a dolphin at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan — 16:33.

Wide view of the dolphin tank at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan — 16:32, 21mm — pulling back for the whole tank.

The Open Water Tank

Kaiyukan’s centerpiece is one enormous tank running through the middle of the building, visible from multiple floors on the way down.

View of the large central tank at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan — 16:42.

A second view of the large central tank at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan — 16:34, from another angle.

A third view of the large central tank at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan — 16:39.

Wide view of the large central tank at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan — The same tank, pulled back wider, 16:35.

Stingrays and a Shark

A stingray at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan — A stingray, 16:49.

A second view of a stingray at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan — A second view, moments later.

A third stingray at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan — Another stingray, 16:49.

A fourth stingray at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan — 16:53.

A shark at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan — A shark passing overhead, 16:50, 52mm.

The Whale Shark

The aquarium’s biggest resident, in the same central tank the dolphins and stingrays share — impossible to miss and worth the wait for an unobstructed view.

A whale shark in the main tank at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan — 16:52.

Fish and Crabs

Fish at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan — 16:57, 1/15s.

A second view of fish at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan — 17:04.

A crab at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan — A crab, 17:15, 1/8s.

A second view of a crab at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan — Moments later.

Jellyfish

By the jellyfish room the light outside was gone entirely, and the shutter speeds show it.

A jellyfish at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan — 17:44.

A second jellyfish at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan — A second jellyfish, same minute.

Wide view of jellyfish at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan — 17:50, 62mm.

A jellyfish, slow shutter, at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan — 17:48, 1/5s.

A second jellyfish, slow shutter, at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan — 17:42.

A jellyfish in another tank at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan — 17:50, another tank.

A second jellyfish in another tank at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan — 17:49.

A final wide view of jellyfish at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan — 17:51, the last of the jellyfish room.

Leaving

Illuminated decorations outside Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan at night — Illuminations outside the aquarium, 18:07 — fully dark by the time we left.

A full afternoon into evening, most of it spent going tank by tank without much of a plan — the kind of place that rewards not rushing the jellyfish room just because the dolphins were louder.