The Aquarium, inaugurated in May 2012, is one of the main attractions in Sumida. Although of modest size, it is home to over 10,000 sea creatures, and is located on floors 5 and 6 of the Tokyo Solamachi, a shopping complex at the base of the Tokyo SkyTree.
There is no standard visitor route, and you can make your way around the aquarium as you please.
The central feature of the Sumida Aquarium is the 350,000-liter tank, the largest indoor tank in Japan, which is home to dozens of penguins and seals. The glass walls are so thick that they require no additional supports, so that visitors can admire the creatures from virtually any angle. The design of the tank allows you to get right up close to them, thanks to the walkways and other structures positioned above the surface of the water.
The various areas of the aquarium include The Shimmering Water, which recreates a natural marine environment: here you can even observe the tiny bubbles of oxygen that form on the surface of the aquatic plants, thanks to photosynthesis, which allow the fish, shrimps and micro-organisms to breathe.
Another interesting area is dedicated to jellyfish, hundreds of which you can see floating in two huge tanks.
Equally spectacular is the coral reef section, featuring a series of four tanks that reproduce the various coral reefs around the world offering visitors a compete overview of the delightful, multi-colored world under the sea.
There is also a large section dedicated to the seas around Tokyo and the Japanese archipelago, with a number of tanks, including a large one in which you can see numerous fish species swimming around in shoals, as well as a few sharks. One extraordinary feature of the tank is that it mimics the blue of the deepest waters.
An interesting fact: the Sumida Aquarium uses only artificial sea water, in order to limit the carbon dioxide emissions caused by transporting sea water using tankers. This also allows the aquarium to maintain consistent water quality all year round, thus guaranteeing a comfortable environment for the creatures it is home to.
