
The Tempozan area is named after the lowest mountain in Japan, which is located on the island. There are many shopping centers, restaurants, a Ferris wheel, and a large aquarium. I wanted to visit the Kaiyukan aquarium and the Ferris wheel in Tempozan, one of the largest Ferris wheels in the world. I got there quickly by subway from Shitennō-ji.
In addition to these attractions, visitors can also sail through the harbor area on a “replica” of Columbus’s Santa Maria or be lured into the small Legoland by the large Lego giraffe.
Kaiyukan
For the aquarium, which is a little more expensive at 2400 ¥. You have to wait in line for an average of half an hour. The building itself is futuristic and you work your way through from top to bottom. The individual floors are dedicated to different geographical areas.

There is a highlight right at the beginning, the otter enclosure. I was lucky enough to be able to watch a feeding. After that, you see other (part-time) land dwellers, including coatis, sea lions, puffins, ducks, and penguins. You can of course also watch the animals swimming and diving. The construction of the building lets you encounter most of the animals several times.
In addition to smaller fish such as piranhas and neons, you will also come across various shark species such as hammerhead sharks or a large basking shark, rays, sawfish, and classics such as catfish. But you’ll also meet sunfish, which you otherwise rarely see. In separate small aquariums, you can watch inhabitants of the bottom zone such as crabs and lobsters or various small sharks.
Later you can see corals, small jellyfish, and, for example, colorful ribbon eels. You will also meet the penguins again.
The whole thing is well prepared didactically and I can imagine that it will arouse visitors’ interest in nature. A lot of emphasis is placed on the ecological effects of man-made climate change. However, I cannot imagine that it is possible to keep the animals in a truly species-appropriate way in these small tanks and enclosures. The open water pools with the basking shark and the sunfish in particular left a bitter aftertaste, despite all my fascination for the animals. In the end, visitors will have to decide for themselves whether they like it or not.
Ferris Wheel in Tempozan

I stayed in the aquarium longer than I had originally thought. Afterward, despite my fear of heights, I decided to take a ride on the Ferris wheel – I had originally only wanted to take photos of it from the outside.
You pay a small extra charge for the glass-bottomed gondolas and have to wait much longer. But I was in no hurry. After about 20 minutes it was my turn and I went for a spin. One revolution takes about 15 minutes and you really get a great view of the harbor area. Among other things, I was able to see the Navy’s second current sailing training ship, the Kaiwo Maru II. I can imagine that it would be quite interesting at night when everything is flashing and glowing. But I had already enjoyed a similar view from the Umeda Sky Building. Unfortunately, the weather was only moderate and therefore visibility was very limited.
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