GA KYO UWS Aquarium Tokyo

GA KYO UWS Aquarium

1,500 JPY

Rating

4.0/5

Flyctory.com Pros

Very fascinating place (esp. for non-Japanese people)
Rather many displays in a limited space
Very caring staff

Flyctory.com Cons

Limited documentation
Questionable living quality for animals

Japanese culture sometimes feels very different from Central European one. Thus, I loved to be in Tokyo in September 2023 and explore a lot of things, which I might not have explored in my cultural bubble. One of these places is definitely GA KYO UWS Aquarium. The small exhibition deals with Japanese aquarium art. I had a visit.

GA KYO UWS Aquarium – Location & Admission

The exhibition is located on the first floor of Aqua City, a shopping mall on Odaiba Island. The same area also hosts Madame Tussauds Tokyo and other attractions, like the obscure Unko Museum. We travelled to Odaiba with a ferry by Suijobus Tokyo Cruise. However, the more straightforward way to go to Odaiba is likely the Yurikamome Line. Daiba Station is the closest option.

The museum is open daily. On weekdays, times are 11:00 to 20:00, while the doors open one hour later on weekends and public holidays. Adult admission is 1,500 JPY, which is a little less than 10 Euro.

GA KYO UWS Aquarium – The Visit

UWS Aquarium is a franchise of similar places. Their most famous outlet is likely the Nara Kingyo Museum, Japan’s largest goldfish aquarium. The aim of GA KYO is expressing miyabi, the Japanese sense of beauty, in a series of displays. They are organized in five different spaces, which I honestly rather got from reading the website than by the visit itself. The visit took my wife and myself some 20 to 30 minutes.

I guess that the pictures speak for themselves. GA KYO is very colorful. The different displays with the fishes living inside lead to a very vibrant and dynamic touch. This is even more intense, when fast moving animals move in rather hard geometric structures – quite a strong contrast. Some sections are Wabisabi (“Simplicty and Elegance”), which work with driftwood and bonsai, or the colorful Oiran (“Elite Courtesans”). It is very hard to judge on the faith of the fish, though. Some do live in rather small places, but the staff felt very respectful with them on the other side.

GA KYO UWS Aquarium – Services

At the end of the visit, there is a small gift shop, which is selling a rather wide collection of collectibles and items you might love to bring home with you. The staff was very friendly and all felt to be very caring towards the animals.

GA KYO UWS Aquarium – My View

I cannot judge whether GA KYO is a high quality place, compared to other aquarium art places in Japan. I am just not expert enough. I did absolutely enjoy the visit, though, as this experience was (in real life) absolutely new to me and a fascinating combination of arts and habitats. Some more explanation here and there would likely have raised the level of fascination, though. I still feel that a place like this one is worth a visit, especially for non-East-Asian people.