Nagasaki Penguin Aquarium
An aquarium keeping nine of the world's eighteen penguin species.
piggybackjapan.com
Nagasaki Penguin Aquarium
SaveAn aquarium keeping nine of the world's eighteen penguin species.
The subantarctic pool is four meters deep and holds 200 tons of water, where penguins look more like birds in flight.
MoreWhat kind of place
The aquarium opened in April 2001 on about eight acres, roughly two-thirds of it land and the rest seawater. Nine of the world's eighteen penguin species live here.
The subantarctic pool, 13 feet deep and holding 200 tons of water, is among the largest in Japan, and the penguins in it look less like swimmers than like birds in flight.
A stretch of natural shoreline serves as a penguin beach, the first of its kind in the world, where the birds swim in the open sea and rest on the sand.
The beach opens on weekends and holidays only, and it stops for the molting season and for bird flu outbreaks — which is why it has been on hold since August 8, 2026.
Sources and evidence (16)
- Nine of the world's eighteen penguin species live here.source
- The subantarctic penguin pool is one of the largest in Japan at four meters (13 feet) deep with 200 tons of water, and the penguins move through it the way birds move through open sky.source
- The penguin beach, the first of its kind in the world, is where you can watch penguins swim in the open sea and rest on the sand.source
- A notice on the home page says the penguin beach has been suspended since Saturday, August 8, 2026.source
- An outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza has forced changes to the event schedule.source
- The little penguin enclosure holds the world's smallest penguin species, brought from Australia.source
- The Nagasaki Sea tank is the largest fish tank in the building at three meters (10 feet) deep and about 120 tons, holding roughly 30 fish species from the waters off Nagasaki.source
- A biotope around the aquarium recreates the Japanese countryside in four zones: terraced rice fields and grassland, a mountain stream and deciduous woods, a creek and evergreen woods, and a pond and coastal forest.source
- Fish and other animals are on display here too, not just penguins.source
- Kayaking runs on weekends and public holidays from late April to late September, with an instructor along.source
- Your feet and clothes get wet with seawater while kayaking, so wear something you don't mind soaking or bring a change of clothes.source
- Kayaking can be called off for rain, strong wind, other weather conditions, or low tide.source
- The showers at the marine experience building (200 yen for five minutes) and its free lockers are for kayaking participants only.source
- A nursing room sits beside the first-floor shop and the multipurpose restrooms have baby changing tables, though the nursing room has no hot water dispenser.source
- Eating and drinking are fine outdoors at the penguin plaza and the lawn, but not inside the building.source
- The marine experience building has coin lockers for 100 yen.source
With kidsThe part that matters
At most aquariums, everything a small child wants to touch is behind glass. The touch pool here works the other way: kids reach into shallow water and hold starfish, sea cucumbers, and sea urchins from the local shore.
Strollers are lent free at the main desk, but they cannot be reserved and there are only a few, so ask on your way in — they can run out.
Upstairs, next to the kids' room, a baby care room serves as a nursing room and a diaper-changing space.
The indoor loop takes about an hour, and no food is allowed inside, so the snacks wait until you are back out at the penguin plaza.
Sources and evidence (7)
- The touch pool holds tide-pool animals such as starfish, sea cucumbers, and sea urchins, which small children can safely touch and watch up close.source
- The virtual theater shows 3D films on one of the largest screens in Japan, and kids can draw their own penguin or fish and then watch it swim across the screen.source
- Kayakers from age four through elementary school need a parent in the same boat, and a junior high school student or older can ride along in the parent's place.source
- Mid-March with a sixth-grader. The backyard tour takes only 10, so they queued from 8:30 and were first in line.source
- Two small boys. The kids' space is shoes-off, with books and soft toys; the touch pool holds starfish and hermit crabs.source
- Lunch at Shinsen Shokusai Ichimura, 10 minutes by car: high chairs, a children's set. Bring a towel for the touch pool.source
- Parking lot 2 is closer: over the bridge and you are there. From lot 1 you walk the biotope, and children stall there.source
By age0-1 / 2-3 / 4-6
- Ages 0-1The subantarctic penguin pool is four meters (13 feet) deep and holds 200 tons of water, so a baby in your arms can look up at penguins moving through it the way birds move through open sky. In the Nagasaki Sea tank, three meters deep and about 120 tons, roughly 30 fish species from the local waters cross in front of them. The building is barrier-free, and walking the indoor exhibits takes about an hour.The nursing room is beside the shop on the first floor, but it has no hot water dispenser, so bring water for formula. The Mamaro baby care booth next to the second-floor kids' room also works as a nursing room and a diaper changing space. Baby changing tables are in the multipurpose restrooms. The building has two elevators. Strollers are lent free at the main reception desk, first come first served, with no reservations and a limited number on hand. If you drive, the second parking lot is the closer one to the aquarium. Children not yet in elementary school get in free.
- Ages 2-3The touch pool holds tide-pool animals such as starfish, sea cucumbers, and sea urchins, which small children can safely touch and watch up close. The little penguin enclosure holds the world's smallest penguin species, brought from Australia. Next to the penguin goods gallery on the second floor is a kids' room where families can settle in.Fureai Penguin Beach, where you watch penguins swim in the open sea and rest on the sand, runs only on weekends and public holidays. It is called off during bird flu outbreaks and the molting season, and a notice on the home page says it has been suspended since Saturday, August 8, 2026, so check the home page before you go. You can re-enter as many times as you like on the same day by showing your ticket at the main reception desk. Eating inside the building is not allowed, but the outdoor penguin plaza and lawn are fine. Children not yet in elementary school get in free.
- Ages 4-6Kayaking takes children from age four, with a parent in the same boat and an instructor along, on weekends and public holidays from late April to late September. The virtual theater shows 3D films on one of the largest screens in Japan, and a child can draw their own penguin or fish and then watch it swim across the screen. Nine of the world's eighteen penguin species live here, so they can count them off one by one against the exhibits in the penguin information room.For kayaking, children from age four through elementary school need a parent in the same boat, and single kayaks are limited to junior high school students and older. It costs 1,090 yen an hour for a double and 730 yen for a single. Your feet and clothes get wet with seawater, so wear something you don't mind soaking or bring a change of clothes. Rain, strong wind, other weather conditions, or low tide can call it off. The showers at the marine experience building (200 yen for five minutes) and its free coin lockers are for kayaking participants only. Admission is free before elementary school and 400 yen for elementary through high school students.
By weatherRain, heat, cold
- Rainy dayThe subantarctic penguin pool, the touch pool, the virtual theater, and the 2F kids' room are all indoors, and the building takes about an hour to walk. The kayaking can be canceled for rain or strong wind, and eating is allowed only outdoors at the Penguin Plaza or the lawn, not inside the building.
- Hot dayNot checked yet
- Cold dayNot checked yet
Time needed1 h
How was it with your kids?
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Family checks✓ easy for your family
- ElevatorElevator：with conditionsconditions
- Stroller OKStroller friendly：with conditionsconditions
- RentalStroller rental：not checked
- NursingNursing space：with conditionsconditions
- ChangingDiaper changing table：with conditionsconditions
- Family WCFamily restroom：with conditionsconditions
- Own foodOutside food allowed：with conditionsconditions
- EnglishEnglish support：not checked
Tap a mark for details
* Other not checked (2)
Diaper disposal bin, Kids' toilet seat & step stool
Green = we confirmed it. Gray = not checked yet. Gray with a line through = the place does not have it.
Worth a look before you go
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Mid-March with a sixth-grader. The backyard tour takes only 10, so they queued from 8:30 and were first in line.
A mother-and-son trip to Nagasaki: the penguin aquarium
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Two small boys. The kids' space is shoes-off, with books and soft toys; the touch pool holds starfish and hermit crabs.
We went to the Nagasaki Penguin Aquarium with two small boys
Japanese · opens translatedGuide
Lunch at Shinsen Shokusai Ichimura, 10 minutes by car: high chairs, a children's set. Bring a towel for the touch pool.
The world's best penguin aquarium, and a good first aquarium for a small child
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Parking lot 2 is closer: over the bridge and you are there. From lot 1 you walk the biotope, and children stall there.
Nagasaki Penguin Aquarium: the world's widest range of penguins, and what the place is like with children
Nagasaki Penguin Aquarium · Links & reads ▾
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Where it is
3-16 Shukumachi, Nagasaki-shi, Nagasaki 851-0121source
Before you go
- Nagasaki City residents holding a physical disability, rehabilitation, or mental health welfare certificate enter free along with one caregiver, and a benefits card on its own is not accepted.source
- Wheelchairs and strollers are lent free at the main reception desk on a first-come basis, with no reservations and a limited number on hand.source
- You can re-enter as many times as you like on the same day by showing your ticket at the main reception desk.source
- Service dogs are welcome, but visitors are asked to leave pets at home.source
- The entire property, main building and parking lots included, is nonsmoking.source
More notes (1)
- The parking lots are open from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and you cannot drive in or out outside those hours.source
Basics
- Fee：¥800 for adults and ¥400 for elementary 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.source
- 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 parking lots 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.source
- Time to allow：1 h
- Booking：Individuals buy at the desk or the machine on the day; cards, e-money and QR payments are all accepted. Groups book by fax. Wheelchairs and strollers are lent free but cannot be reserved — first come, first served. Kayaking runs on weekend and holiday dates between late April and late September.source
Basics in detail (25)
Other
- The map on the access page centers on 32.75630, 129.94477, right next to the second parking lot.source
- It opened on April 22, 2001, on a site of about eight acres (32,000 square meters), split into 22,000 square meters of land and 10,000 of water.source
- It is operated by the Nagasaki Ropeway and Aquarium Foundation.source
Hours and closures
- As of August 14, 2026, the home page listed the day's hours as 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.source
- It is open every day of the year.source
- Occasional closures do happen; a notice for a Wednesday, February 25 closing appears in a list that gives no year.source
- Phone calls are answered between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.source
- The penguin beach runs only on weekends and public holidays, and it is called off during bird flu outbreaks and the molting season.source
Time to allow
- Walking through the indoor exhibits takes about an hour.source
Fees
- Admission is 800 yen for adults and 400 yen for elementary through high school students.source
- Children who are not yet in elementary school get in free.source
- Group rates are 640 yen for adults and 280 yen for elementary, junior high, and high school students.source
- An annual pass costs 2,000 yen for adults and 1,000 yen for elementary through high school students.source
- Certificate holders from outside Nagasaki City and their caregivers pay 400 yen for adults and 200 yen for elementary through high school students.source
- The ticket window and the ticket machines accept credit cards, electronic money, and QR code payments.source
- Anyone whose birthday falls on the day of their visit gets a gift at the front desk by showing something that confirms the date.source
- Kayaking costs 730 yen per hour for a single kayak and 1,090 yen for a double, and single kayaks are limited to junior high school students and older.source
- Parking for cars and microbuses is 260 yen for the first hour and 200 yen for each hour after that.source
Getting there
- The second parking lot is the closer one to the aquarium, and it is the one recommended for anyone using a wheelchair.source
- The first parking lot is a longer walk, but the path from it runs through the countryside biotope, where you can look at seasonal plants and wildlife.source
- By car it is about five minutes from the Nagasaki Susukizuka interchange on the Nagasaki Expressway, doubling back along the local road, or about 15 minutes from the Nagasaki Tarami interchange.source
- By bus, board the Nagasaki Kenei bus bound for Aba / Kasuga Shako-mae at the Nagasaki Station bus terminal, and catch the return bus at Himi Koen-mae.source
- From Nagasaki Airport, the limousine bus into the city takes about 50 minutes to the Nagasaki Station terminal.source
- A taxi from Nagasaki Station takes about 30 minutes and costs roughly 2,500 yen.source
Contact
- The aquarium is at 3-16 Yadomachi, Nagasaki City, Nagasaki 851-0121, and the phone number is 095-838-3131.
Once you've decided
evidence & sources (9)
- Official: Indoor / outdoor, Stroller friendly, Diaper changing table
- Official: Nursing space, Family restroom, Outside food allowed
- Official: Stroller access notes
- Official: Best-fit ages (guide)
- Official: main site
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 parking lot crosses a biotope of terraced paddies, streams and woodland.
| 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. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | penguin-aqua.jp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | penguin-aqua.jp |
| 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. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | penguin-aqua.jp |
| Diaper changing table | Yes | Baby changing shelves in the multipurpose toilets, plus the 'mamaro' pod by the second-floor kids' room. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | penguin-aqua.jp |
| Family restroom | Yes | Multipurpose toilets with a baby changing shelf. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | penguin-aqua.jp |
| Elevator | Yes | Two elevators inside the aquarium, which is step-free throughout. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | penguin-aqua.jp |
| Outside food allowed | Yes | You can eat outdoors at the penguin square and the lawn, but not inside the building. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | penguin-aqua.jp |
| Best-fit ages (guide)Extra info — guide only | 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 elementary 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. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | penguin-aqua.jp |
| Stroller access notesExtra info — guide only | 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. Parking lot 2 is the closer one and the one recommended if you use a wheelchair; parking lot 1 is a little further but the walk goes through the biotope woodland. Parking lots 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. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | penguin-aqua.jp |
| Diaper disposal bin | Not checked yet | ||||
| Kids' toilet seat & step stool | Not checked yet | ||||
| English support | Not checked yet |
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