Accueil/Préfecture d'Okinawa/Nago/Aquarium Churaumi

Aquarium Churaumi

Well knownIn most guidebooks for this region — but rarely with the practical detail.

Recherche et rédaction Hinato

Churaumi Aquariumwhale sharksmanta raysmega tankOcean Expo Park

Photo: Hideto KOBAYASHI / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · original

L'aquarium Okinawa Churaumi est l'un des plus spectaculaires au monde, avec un bassin principal de 7 500 metres cubes ou nagent requins-baleines et raies manta geantes derriere un panneau acrylique de 8,2 metres de haut et 22,5 metres de large. C'est le deuxieme plus grand bassin d'aquarium au monde, et la sensation d'echelle est saisissante.

L'aquarium se trouve au sein de l'Ocean Expo Park, face a une plage avec vue sur l'ile Ie-jima. Il comprend des sections consacrees au recif corallien d'Okinawa, un delphinarium et un espace de contact avec des etoiles de mer. C'est la destination familiale par excellence de l'archipel et l'une des plus visitees de tout le Japon.

Informations essentielles

Horaires d'ouverture

8:30 AM – 6:30 PM (March–September) | 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM (October–February) | Last entry 1 hour before closing

Fermé: First Wednesday of December and the following Thursday (annual maintenance)

Tarif d'entrée

¥2 180 adultes

Meilleure saison

Year-round (indoor aquarium) | Whale shark feeding is daily | Avoid Obon holiday week (August) for crowds

Durée de visite

2–3 heures

Comment s'y rendre

Informations d'accès

Bus direct depuis Naha (2 – 2,5 h) ou voiture de location (1,5 h par l'autoroute). Horaires : 8 h 30 – 18 h 30 (jusqu'a 20 h 00 en ete). Entree : ¥2 180 adultes.

Accès détaillé et horaires

Gare la plus proche

No direct train access. Nago Bus Terminal — 40 min bus to Ocean Expo Park (¥730). Naha Airport — 2 hrs by Yanbaru Express Bus (¥2,000, reservation required)

Temps de trajet

From Naha Airport: ~2 hours by express bus or ~90 min by rental car via Route 58/449 | From Narita Airport: fly to Naha (~2.5 hrs) then 2 hrs to aquarium

Comment y aller

Bus: Yanbaru Express Bus from Naha Airport or Naha Bus Terminal to Ocean Expo Park (direct, ~2 hrs, ¥2,000 one-way, book in advance online). Car: Rental car from Naha Airport via Okinawa Expressway to Nago IC, then Route 449 northwest to Motobu (~90 min). Parking free at Ocean Expo Park. Tour: Many Naha-based tour operators offer Churaumi day tours including transport (¥5,000–8,000 per person, convenient but less flexible).

Meilleur moment pour visiter

Arrive at 8:30 AM opening or after 3:00 PM to avoid peak midday crowds. Whale shark feeding at 3:00 PM weekdays is less crowded than weekend feedings.

Conseils pour éviter la foule

Midday (11 AM–3 PM) sees the highest visitor density. Summer (July–August) and Golden Week (late April–early May) are peak periods — arrive at opening. Weekday visits are 30–40% less crowded than weekends. The Cafe Ocean Blue inside the aquarium (by the main tank) is often overlooked and provides quiet tank viewing during meals.

Informations de stationnement

Free parking at Ocean Expo Park (large lot, multiple sections). Fills during Golden Week and summer weekends — arrive early. No parking fee.

Guide d'initié

**Feeding time:** Whale sharks are fed at 15:00 and 17:00 daily (9:30 and 15:00 on weekends) — they swim vertically with mouths open, filtering plankton from the water in a dramatic display. The 15:00 feeding is less crowded than 17:00. Arrive 30 minutes early to secure viewing position (the tank has bench seating for 180 people; standing behind is suboptimal). **Cafe Ocean Blue:** The aquarium contains a café with floor-to-ceiling windows facing the Kuroshio Sea tank — you can eat lunch (pizza, pasta, ¥1,200–1,800) while watching whale sharks swim past. The café is surprisingly uncrowded (most visitors skip it) and provides the most relaxed tank viewing. Entry via the aquarium; no separate admission. **Park strategy:** The aquarium is only 1/3 of Ocean Expo Park. After the aquarium (2–3 hours), visit the free dolphin show at Okichan Theater (a short walk, shows at 11:00, 13:00, 14:30, 17:30 — arrive 30 min early for shade seating). Then explore the Emerald Beach (free swimming beach with lifeguards, June–September). The full park requires 6+ hours; aquarium-only visits are 3 hours.

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