A Renowned Scenic Spot in Kanagawa – Monkey Island
With summer vacation approaching, have you decided where to take your kids this year? Come to Kanagawa to experience the charm of the ocean and embark on a journey of connecting with the sea. Kanagawa Prefecture is located just 50 kilometers southwest of Tokyo, facing the Pacific Ocean, and thus boasts abundant marine resources. Next, we will introduce several representative aquariums and popular tourist attractions:
On a corner of Tokyo Bay lies an island called Odaiba. The entire island is equipped with an aquarium, amusement park, shopping mall, hotels, and restaurants. It is the only comprehensive marine leisure and entertainment facility on a whole island within the Greater Tokyo Area. The Yokohama Odaiba Sea Paradise aquarium is one of the largest in Japan. In the main exhibition area, “Sea Gaia,” visitors can observe the lives of 700 species and 120,000 marine creatures, showcasing the vast natural landscape of the ocean. Immersed in the underwater world, it creates an ideal realm where humans and the sea blend seamlessly. Accompanied by lights and music, the majestic schools of fish are truly breathtaking. In the “Marine Farm,” themed around “marine education,” visitors can cook the fish they catch or catch by hand into fish sticks for a delicious meal. In the “Marine Intimacy Pavilion,” visitors can get up close with marine life, and the daily feeding experience sessions are also very popular.
Yokohama Odaiba Sea Paradise also features an amusement park that fully embodies the island's charm, offering 16 types of rides suitable for all ages to experience thrills and excitement. There’s the wave coaster “Leviathan” that speeds along a track jutting out over the sea, the “Blue Fall” — Japan’s tallest free-fall ride, and the giant 3D maze “The Sea,” perfect for exploring with family. In addition, there is a full range of specialty shops, restaurants, as well as walking plazas and hotels nestled among greenery and gardens, making it extremely convenient.
At the nighttime dolphin show “The Color Of Love,” projected images and dolphins perform together to deliver a magical show for visitors. In addition, seasonal fireworks shows called “Summer Festival - Fireworks Symphony” are held here. Fireworks accompanied by music light up the seaside night sky, sparking the imagination and leaving visitors lingering in awe.
Nighttime Dolphin Show
Next, let’s move our coordinates southward to Enoshima, located along the Shonan Coast. This place also boasts beautiful scenery. The new Enoshima Aquarium on the island showcases a variety of creatures living in Sagami Bay and the Pacific Ocean, attracting large numbers of visitors every year. It is also one of the popular filming locations for Japanese dramas. Here, visitors can fully experience the importance and beauty of the “connection of life.”
The new Enoshima Aquarium is divided into several major exhibition areas. First is the Sagami Sea exhibit, where Sagami Bay, a world-renowned treasure trove of marine life, is showcased from various angles, displaying its charm and the diverse forms of marine organisms. Deep Sea Zone 1 introduces cutting-edge knowledge in deep-sea research, including long-term breeding methods for deep-sea creatures developed in collaboration with JAMSTEC. Deep Sea Zone 2 displays the manned submersible research vessel “Shinkai 2000,” which explored Japan’s deep sea and made significant contributions to the leap forward in deep-sea research. The Jellyfish Dream Hall is one of the world’s foremost jellyfish spaces, utilizing years of breeding research and display techniques to offer a serene and dreamlike experience.
The new Enoshima Aquarium is also the first in the world to successfully breed sardine fry known as “Japanese pilchard,” and began exhibiting them in April 2014. Pilchards are a common part of the Japanese diet, but because they are delicate and easily injured, their ecology was almost impossible to observe in the past. Now, visitors can observe these tiny creatures that support the marine ecosystem at the new Enoshima Aquarium. In addition, the aquarium has newly opened areas such as the “Turtle Beach” for close-up views of sea turtles, the Penguin & Seal Exhibit, the Dolphin Show Arena, and the Otter Area. Here, you can even interact closely with dolphins and turtles, creating unforgettable memories.
New Enoshima Aquarium
Finally, let’s shift our focus back to Yokohama, where the Yokohama Ramen Museum is located near Shin-Yokohama Station. Based on the concept of viewing ramen as a traditional Japanese dish, the museum allows visitors to sample famous ramen from across Japan without boarding a plane. On the first floor in the exhibit area, visitors can learn about the history and culture of ramen — such as the newly discovered Chinese noodles from the Muromachi period and explanations of the dawn of ramen. Adjacent to it, the Ramen Shop Store sells ramen gift sets from all over Japan, as well as various bowls, utensils, and cooking tools. In the Ramen Experience Area, visitors can create their own original creative ramen and take a commemorative cover photo of it. There are also exclusive sweets and stationery from the main store, along with various small goods themed around “ramen” and “Showa-era.” Moreover, there is a once-popular electric toy racing track and official course, along with rentable electric toy cars, allowing both children and adults to easily have a go.
Yokohama Ramen Museum
The underground first and second floors feature nine ramen shops carefully selected from across Japan, as well as cigarette shops and traditional confectionery shops that match the retro streetscape, instantly transporting visitors back to Japan in 1958. The old-fashioned candy store was once a social hub for children and evokes nostalgic memories for many Japanese of buying such sweets after school. This “children’s social space” is recreated here, with shelves densely packed with over 300 types of sweets and toys that excite not only kids but also adults. The central plaza occasionally hosts various events such as kamishibai storytelling and rock-paper-scissors competitions, offering plenty of fun even for those who just stroll around.
Ramen Museum