Sunshine Aquarium
An aquarium on a rooftop in Ikebukuro, with two indoor floors and an outdoor garden.
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Sunshine Aquarium
SaveAn aquarium on a rooftop in Ikebukuro, with two indoor floors and an outdoor garden.
In that garden the Sky Penguins tank juts out overhead, about 12 meters wide, so the penguins seem to cross the sky.
MoreWhat kind of place
The aquarium sits on the roof of the World Import Mart Building inside Sunshine City, ten floors up, with a dedicated elevator running to it from the building's first floor. That roof is why the route splits three ways — open sea on the first floor, waterside on the second, open sky above them both — and why the penguins are seen against sky rather than a wall.
With kidsThe part that matters
Marine Garden, the rooftop holding the Sky Penguins tank, comes last, after the indoor floors, and its grass is wide enough to run on.
Inside, stepped seating faces the Sunshine Lagoon, where children settle in, one two-year-old for twenty minutes. Deeper in, Kurage Kukan's jellyfish tunnel is darkest, with chairs to linger in.
Upstairs, the turtle tank meets a two-year-old's eye, and a low step raises a child to the Baikal seals. The loop runs about an hour and a half, so children reach the end without losing interest.
By age0-1 / 2-3 / 4-6
- Ages 0-1Drifting jellyfish hold a baby's attention here, from as young as five months, and the seals dart fast enough to make a one-year-old laugh out loud. Carrying a baby facing forward puts them nearer adult eye level than a stroller seat does.
- Ages 2-3This is the age the dark divides: some children walk straight into Kurage Kukan and some ask to be carried through it. Up on the rooftop the light is open and there is room to run, which is where that can reset.
- Ages 4-6At this age the whole route is walkable on their own feet, and 200 yen buys small fish to feed in the rooftop area. The guided tour costs 800 yen a head on top of admission and takes the first 15 to sign up, so the aquarium's own half-day plan puts the booking before you go in, not once you are inside.
By weatherRain, heat, cold
- Rainy dayTwo of the three areas are indoors, eleven display zones on the first floor and eight on the second, so rain takes away the rooftop rather than the visit. Outdoor events can be swapped rather than simply dropped: one wet day the sea lion splash event was called off and a sea lion performance put on in its place.
- Hot dayThe air conditioning indoors holds up through midsummer, and the benches in the dim Kurage Kukan are a known spot for settling a tired child to sleep. The rooftop is the opposite: the sun is strong there by 9:30 in the morning, though the open air up there can still feel cooling even on a scorching day.
- Cold dayNot checked yet
How was it with your kids?
Not greatGreat
Family checks✓ easy for your family
- ElevatorElevator：yes
- Stroller OKStroller friendly：yes
- RentalStroller rental：not checked
- NursingNursing space：yes
- ChangingDiaper changing table：yes
- Diaper binDiaper disposal bin：with conditionsconditions
- Family WCFamily restroom：yes
- Kids' toiletKids' toilet seat & step stool：with conditionsconditions
- Own foodOutside food allowed：none
- EnglishEnglish support：with conditionsconditions
Tap a mark for details
Green = we confirmed it. Gray = not checked yet. Gray with a line through = the place does not have it.
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Where to go next
With a baby (0–1)
- ASOBono!Indoor playgroundStroller friendlyNursing spaceDiaper changing table3.9 kmAn indoor playground at Tokyo Dome City, its ball pool filled with some 40,000 balls.
- Pokémon CafeCharacter cafeStroller friendly7.3 kmThe first permanent Pokémon cafe, in a department store near Tokyo Station.
- Ueno ParkCity parkStroller friendlyNursing spaceDiaper changing table5.0 kmOne of Japan's first public parks, with the zoo and museums inside its grounds.
- National Museum of Nature and ScienceScience museumStroller friendlyNursing spaceDiaper changing table5.3 kmA national museum shown at full size — dinosaur skeletons, a life-size blue whale.
- Ueno ZooZooStroller friendlyNursing spaceDiaper changing table4.8 kmJapan's first zoo, with about 300 species spread over two gardens.
- Solamachi Tabe-Terrace Food CourtFood courtStroller friendlyNursing spaceDiaper changing table8.3 kmA food court at the foot of Skytree: udon, ramen and rice bowls at one table.
With a toddler (2–3)
- Tokyo National MuseumNational museumStroller friendlyNursing spaceDiaper changing table5.2 kmJapan's oldest museum, six buildings on one site, showing almost only real objects.
- Shinjuku Gyoen National GardenGardenStroller friendlyNursing spaceDiaper changing table4.9 kmA former imperial garden of 58 hectares, holding three garden styles in one plan.
- SHIBUYA SKYObservation deckStroller friendlyNursing spaceDiaper changing table8.0 kmA two-level observatory above Shibuya Station, finishing on an open roof 229 meters up.
- Tokyo Toy MuseumToy museumNursing spaceDiaper changing tableElevator4.4 kmA toy museum inside an elementary school built nearly ninety years ago.
- Kani Doraku Ginza HatchomeCrab restaurantDiaper changing tableElevatorFamily restroom7.8 kmA crab restaurant by Shimbashi Station, with kaiseki courses that run to nine dishes.
- Sumida AquariumAquariumStroller friendlyNursing spaceElevator8.3 kmAn aquarium at the foot of Tokyo Skytree, built so you get close to the animals.
For a meal
- Pokémon CafeCharacter cafeStroller friendly7.3 kmThe first permanent Pokémon cafe, in a department store near Tokyo Station.
- Solamachi Tabe-Terrace Food CourtFood courtStroller friendlyNursing spaceDiaper changing table8.3 kmA food court at the foot of Skytree: udon, ramen and rice bowls at one table.
- Kani Doraku Ginza HatchomeCrab restaurantDiaper changing tableElevatorFamily restroom7.8 kmA crab restaurant by Shimbashi Station, with kaiseki courses that run to nine dishes.
For sights
- National Museum of Nature and ScienceScience museumStroller friendlyNursing spaceDiaper changing table5.3 kmA national museum shown at full size — dinosaur skeletons, a life-size blue whale.
- Ueno ZooZooStroller friendlyNursing spaceDiaper changing table4.8 kmJapan's first zoo, with about 300 species spread over two gardens.
- Tokyo National MuseumNational museumStroller friendlyNursing spaceDiaper changing table5.2 kmJapan's oldest museum, six buildings on one site, showing almost only real objects.
- Shinjuku Gyoen National GardenGardenStroller friendlyNursing spaceDiaper changing table4.9 kmA former imperial garden of 58 hectares, holding three garden styles in one plan.
- SHIBUYA SKYObservation deckStroller friendlyNursing spaceDiaper changing table8.0 kmA two-level observatory above Shibuya Station, finishing on an open roof 229 meters up.
- Sumida AquariumAquariumStroller friendlyNursing spaceElevator8.3 kmAn aquarium at the foot of Tokyo Skytree, built so you get close to the animals.
For play
- ASOBono!Indoor playgroundStroller friendlyNursing spaceDiaper changing table3.9 kmAn indoor playground at Tokyo Dome City, its ball pool filled with some 40,000 balls.
- Ueno ParkCity parkStroller friendlyNursing spaceDiaper changing table5.0 kmOne of Japan's first public parks, with the zoo and museums inside its grounds.
- Tokyo Toy MuseumToy museumNursing spaceDiaper changing tableElevator4.4 kmA toy museum inside an elementary school built nearly ninety years ago.
Where it is
Sunshine Aquarium is on the roof of the World Import Mart building in Sunshine City, at 3-1 Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo.source
Before you go
- Outside food is not allowed in and there is no re-entry, and the only place to eat inside is one Tully's Coffee, so settle lunch before you go through the gate. Water bottles and drink bottles are the one thing you may carry in, and the place to drink them is the rooftop Marine Garden.
- Strollers go in, but the aisles are narrow, the lighting is low and the one elevator between the two indoor floors holds about two, so the aquarium itself recommends leaving yours at the stroller park. The stroller park is outside the entrance while the exit is on the far side, so you double back for it at the end.
- On Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays and designated dates a date-and-time booking is recommended, and entry runs in 15-minute slots that you wait outside for, which in midsummer means standing in the heat with a child. Staff name weekday opening and after 16:00 as the quiet stretches, with Tuesday to Thursday the calmest, so a first slot midweek is the one to aim for.
- Part of the rooftop Marine Garden has nothing overhead and no umbrellas are lent, and in bad weather the whole outdoor area can be closed off. Check the forecast and the event list before you set out.
- The indoor rooms are dark enough that a small child is easy to lose sight of, so white or another bright color makes them easier to pick out in a crowd. Lost-child inquiries are handled by the Sunshine City information desk, open 10:00 to 20:00, not by the aquarium.
- The one baby room is on the second floor of the main building, at the far end of the route, and the first floor has no restroom at all — the toilets are on the second floor and beside the outdoor exit. Either one means walking the whole first floor and changing floors, so find them on the floor map as you go in.
Sources and evidence (35)
- The aquarium's floor map shows one baby room symbol, on the second floor of the main building; there is none on the first floor or in the outdoor area.source
- On the map the baby room sits at the far end of the route, so reaching it from the entrance means walking the whole first floor and changing floors.source
- GO TOKYO, Tokyo's official tourism site, lists a diaper-changing table, a baby keeper or baby chair, a nursing room and written communication for this facility.source
- Coming round from the first floor, the baby room falls in the second half of the route, so it helps to find it on the map early.source
- Checking the floor map for the baby room and the restrooms as you enter is worth doing, because the spots are hard to find once you are inside.source
- GO TOKYO's facility icons include a diaper-changing table.source
- The priority (accessible) restrooms are in two places: the second floor of the main building and near the exit of the outdoor Marine Garden.source
- The first-floor map carries no restroom symbol at all; the toilets are on the second floor and in the outdoor area.source
- Jalan's facility listing states, under barrier-free equipment, that there is a wheelchair-accessible restroom.source
- Strollers may be brought inside, but some aisles are narrow, so the aquarium recommends using the stroller park.source
- Ikoyo tags this facility "stroller OK".source
- The stroller park is before you enter, and following the one-way route takes you to the exit without passing it again, so you have to walk back for it.source
- The rooms are dimly lit and the aisles a little narrow, and going by elevator makes the line you walk longer.source
- Lost-child inquiries are handled by the Sunshine City information desk, not by the aquarium, and the desk is staffed from 10:00 to 20:00.source
- The displays come in three parts: "Journey to the Ocean" on the first floor of the main building, "Journey to the Waterside" on the second, and "Journey to the Sky" in the outdoor Marine Garden.source
- Part of the outdoor Marine Garden has nothing overhead to keep the rain off, so an umbrella is needed, and umbrellas are not lent out.source
- In bad weather the outdoor Marine Garden is sometimes closed off.source
- On a rainy day the route passes briefly through the outdoor area, so some rain protection is needed.source
- The baby room has a bin for diapers, with a notice asking you to put each one into the plastic bag provided before throwing it away.source
- Child-size toilets are not inside the aquarium but at three places in Sunshine City: Alpa B1, Alpa 3F and the Bunka Kaikan building 2F.source
- The first-floor map legend has two kinds of elevator, and the priority elevator symbol sits beside the escalator up to the second floor.source
- The indoor displays are split over two floors, and there is only one elevator between them.source
- The elevator holds about two strollers at a push, so a wait can build up.source
- The official website has English, simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese and Korean pages alongside Japanese.source
- No food or drink may be brought in, except items bought inside the aquarium.source
- Water bottles and plastic drink bottles may be brought in, and drinking is free in the outdoor Marine Garden.source
- Sunshine City as a whole, not the aquarium on its own, has a Category 1 tourist information center certified by the Japan National Tourism Organization.source
- Advance date-and-time booking is recommended on Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays and designated B, C and D dates.source
- Entry runs in 15-minute slots, and you wait outside until your slot comes, which is hot in summer.source
- Re-entry is not allowed.source
- The entrance and ticket counter are on the main building's first floor while the exit is on the outdoor side, so you leave from a different place than you came in.source
- Staff told a magazine that the quiet stretches are just after opening on weekdays and after 16:00, with Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday the calmest.source
- The first-floor jellyfish area and rooms like it are dark enough that a child is easy to lose sight of.source
- The only place to eat inside the aquarium is a Tully's Coffee; there is no restaurant.source
- Younger children wander, so dressing them in white or another bright color makes them easier to spot in a crowd.source
Basics
- Fee：There is no senior rate.source
- Hours：Last entry is 30 minutes before closing.source
- Booking：Advance date-and-time booking is recommended on Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays and designated B, C and D dates.sourceOfficial booking site ↗
Once you've decided
evidence & sources (12)
- Official: Lost-child support, Official family-friendly certification
- gotokyo.org: Nursing space, Diaper changing table
- iko-yo.net: Stroller friendly
- Official: English support
- Official: Indoor / outdoor
- Official: Outside food allowed
- Official: Elevator
- Official: Kids' toilet seat & step stool
- toshima-life.com: Diaper disposal bin
- jalan.net: Family restroom
| Nursing space | Yes | Web-checked | checked Feb ’26 | gotokyo.org | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diaper changing table | Yes | Web-checked | checked Feb ’26 | gotokyo.org | |
| Family restroom | Yes | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | jalan.net | |
| Stroller friendly | Yes | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | iko-yo.net | |
| Lost-child supportExtra info — guide only | Yes | Lost-child inquiries are handled by the Sunshine City information desk, not by the aquarium, and the desk is staffed from 10:00 to 20:00. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | sunshinecity.jp |
| Indoor / outdoor | Indoor & outdoor | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | sunshinecity.jp | |
| Diaper disposal bin | Yes | The baby room has a bin for diapers, with a notice asking you to put each one into the plastic bag provided before throwing it away. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | toshima-life.com |
| Kids' toilet seat & step stool | Yes | Child-size toilets are not inside the aquarium but at three places in Sunshine City: Alpa B1, Alpa 3F and the Bunka Kaikan building 2F. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | sunshinecity.jp |
| Elevator | Yes | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | sunshinecity.jp | |
| English support | English menu & signs | The official website has English, simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese and Korean pages alongside Japanese. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | sunshinecity.jp |
| Outside food allowed | No | No food or drink may be brought in, except items bought inside the aquarium. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | sunshinecity.jp |
| Official family-friendly certificationExtra info — guide only | Yes | Sunshine City as a whole, not the aquarium on its own, has a Category 1 tourist information center certified by the Japan National Tourism Organization. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | sunshinecity.jp |
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