Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium

One of the largest aquariums in the world, Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in Japan is a must-go attraction for young and old alike. There are four floors and diverse biomes to explore. Most of the signage is in Japanese, but many have English translations.

If you like to take your time looking at all the different tanks, I would plan to set aside at least 3-4 hours for this aquarium. For a real treat, I highly recommend putting in your name at the cafe to the right of the main whale shark tank viewing area (shown above). On a busy day, the wait could be up to an hour. You can walk around the rest of the aquarium while you wait.

The seafood curry was a deep purple-ish blue color, which may seem unappetizing to some people, but I can assure you it was delicious, not dubious. The ube pie and cafe latte with a whale shark design on top was the perfect cherry on top to our meal with a fantastic view of the manta rays and whale shark.