---
name: "Nagasaki Penguin Aquarium"
lat: 32.7563
lng: 129.94477
official_url: "https://penguin-aqua.jp/"
fee: "¥800 for adults and ¥400 for primary through high school; pre-school children are free. Groups pay ¥640 and ¥280. An annual pass is ¥2,000 / ¥1,000. Nagasaki city residents holding a disability, rehabilitation or mental health certificate get in free with a carer (a benefit card alone is not accepted); holders from outside the city pay ¥400 / ¥200 with a carer. Parking is ¥260 for the first hour then ¥200 an hour. Kayaking costs ¥730 an hour for a single and ¥1,090 for a double. If it is your birthday, show something that proves it at the desk for a small present."
last_verified: "2026-08-14"
---

# Nagasaki Penguin Aquarium

The subantarctic pool is one of the largest in Japan, four meters deep and holding 200 tons of water. A separate house keeps little penguins from Australia, the smallest species in the world. In the touch pool children can handle starfish, sea cucumbers and sea urchins. Penguin Beach, built so the birds can swim in the open sea, was the first of its kind anywhere. The walk up from the first car park crosses a biotope of terraced paddies, streams and woodland.

- Area: nagasaki
- Type: sightseeing
- Average stay: 60 min
- Hours: Open every day of the year, 9:00-17:00, though the odd day closes without notice. Allow about an hour to go round. The car parks run 8:00-18:00 and you cannot drive in or out outside those hours. Penguin Beach only runs on weekends and public holidays, and stops during a bird flu outbreak or the moulting season — it has been suspended since 8 August 2026. Kayaking is limited to weekends and holidays from late April to late September, and stops for rain, strong wind or low tide.
- Last verified: 2026-08-14

## Family facts (value + conditions + source + verified date)

| Feature | Value | Conditions | Verified | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indoor / outdoor | Indoor & outdoor | The tanks and the kids' room are indoors; Penguin Beach, the kayaking, the penguin square and the biotope woodland are all outside. | 2026-08-14 (web) | [source](https://penguin-aqua.jp/guidemap/) |
| Stroller friendly | Yes | Strollers and wheelchairs are lent free at the main desk — first come, first served, no reservations, and there are only a few. The aquarium building is step-free throughout. | 2026-08-14 (web) | [source](https://penguin-aqua.jp/guidemap/) |
| Nursing space | Yes (2) | A nursing room next to the shop on the first floor (no hot water dispenser), and a 'mamaro' baby care pod beside the kids' room on the second floor, which serves as both a nursing room and a changing space. | 2026-08-14 (web) | [source](https://penguin-aqua.jp/faq/) |
| Diaper changing table | Yes | Baby changing shelves in the multipurpose toilets, plus the 'mamaro' pod by the second-floor kids' room. | 2026-08-14 (web) | [source](https://penguin-aqua.jp/guidemap/) |
| Family restroom | Yes | Multipurpose toilets with a baby changing shelf. | 2026-08-14 (web) | [source](https://penguin-aqua.jp/faq/) |
| Elevator | Yes | Two lifts inside the aquarium, which is step-free throughout. | 2026-08-14 (web) | [source](https://penguin-aqua.jp/guidemap/) |
| Outside food allowed | Yes | You can eat outdoors at the penguin square and the lawn, but not inside the building. | 2026-08-14 (web) | [source](https://penguin-aqua.jp/faq/) |
| Best-fit ages (guide) | Yes | Pre-school children get in free, and there is a kids' room on the second floor next to the penguin goods gallery. The touch pool is set up so small children can handle starfish, sea cucumbers and sea urchins. For kayaking, a single seat is for junior high age and up; children aged 4 to primary school must share a double with an adult, and a junior-high-or-older companion can stand in for the parent. Feet get wet, so bring a change of clothes. The age and height rules for Penguin Beach, and whether it needs booking, are not stated. | 2026-08-14 (web) | [source](https://penguin-aqua.jp/price/) |
| Stroller access notes | Yes | By car, about 5 minutes back along the ordinary road from the Nagasaki Susukizuka interchange, or 15 minutes from Nagasaki Tarami. By bus, take the Nagasaki prefectural bus bound for Aba / Kasuga Shako-mae from the Nagasaki Station front terminal; coming back, use the Himi Koen-mae stop. From Nagasaki Airport, the limousine bus into the city takes about 50 minutes to Nagasaki Station. A taxi from Nagasaki Station is about 30 minutes and around ¥2,500. Car park 2 is the closer one and the one recommended if you use a wheelchair; car park 1 is a little further but the walk goes through the biotope woodland. Car parks run 8:00-18:00 only. Coin lockers ¥100. The whole site is non-smoking, and assistance dogs are welcome though pets are not. You can re-enter as often as you like on the day by showing your ticket at the main desk. | 2026-08-14 (web) | [source](https://penguin-aqua.jp/access/) |
| Diaper disposal bin | Not checked yet |  |  |  |
| Kids' toilet seat & step stool | Not checked yet |  |  |  |
| English support | Not checked yet |  |  |  |