Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium, Nagoya (must see)

The Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium, located in Minato-ku, Nagoya, is a leading public aquarium, notable for its significant tank capacity and extensive area. It boasts Japan's largest dolphin show tank and is a member of the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums (JAZA). Additionally, it is accredited as a Museum-equivalent facility by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology under the Museum Act.

Since its opening in 1992, the aquarium has been operated by the Nagoya Minato Promotion Foundation. Initially, the exhibits were themed around the "Journey from Japan to Antarctica," showcasing aquatic life from five distinct marine environments along the route taken by the Antarctic ship Fuji, which is now permanently docked at the Port of Nagoya. These environments include the Japanese Sea, the Japanese Deep Sea, the Equatorial Sea, Australia, and Antarctica.

The aquarium places a strong emphasis on conservation, particularly of turtles, and has established a Turtle Breeding Research Center. Remarkably, 99% of the seawater used in the aquarium is sourced from the sea at the Port of Nagoya.

In 2001, the aquarium expanded with a new facility featuring a massive dolphin show tank measuring 60 meters in width, and 30 meters in length, and holding 13,500,000 liters of water. At the time of its opening, it was the largest dolphin show tank in the world.

The North Wing of the aquarium is themed "3.5 Billion Year Journey: Animals Return to the Sea Again." This section includes the "Evolutionary Sea" museum on the second floor, which offers an extensive collection of whale fossil replicas and skeletal specimens. Notable exhibits include fossils of Pakicetus and other land-dwelling whales, as well as skeletons of killer whales and beluga whales previously housed at the aquarium.

Since 2020, the aquarium has furthered its commitment to environmental education with the introduction of a room dedicated to microplastics collected at the Port of Nagoya. This exhibit is located on the third floor of the South Building, emphasizing the aquarium's role in promoting environmental awareness.