World Freshwater Fish Aquarium — Aqua Toto Gifu

photo by 世界淡水魚園水族館 · CC BY-SA 4.0

photo by Kenta Morigami さん https://www.flickr.com/photos/morigami/ · CC BY-SA 2.0

The world's largest aquarium for freshwater fish only: 330 species, 20,000 specimens.

Opened in 2004 inside the state-regional recreation complex 河川環境楽園, it is the world's largest aquarium devoted exclusively to freshwater species, on four floors covering 8,480 m²: about 330 species and 20,000 specimens of fish, amphibians and reptiles, plus some thirty aquatic plants. The tanks recreate the course of the Kiso River from source to mouth and then the great rivers of the world, with species such as the Mekong giant catfish and the Amazonian pirarucu; since 2018 the museum has held Japan's first ministerial recognition as an ‘aquarium for the conservation of rare species’, for its work on endangered native fish such as the itasenpara and the ushimotsugo.

The World Freshwater Fish Aquarium Aqua Toto Gifu, opened in 2004 in Kakamigahara inside the state-regional park 河川環境楽園, is devoted entirely to species from rivers and lakes, Japanese and otherwise, which sets it apart from the marine aquariums more common in Japan. The route follows the course of the Kiso River from source to mouth and continues with the great rivers of the world (Mekong, Congo, Amazon), extending to a conservation programme for native species at risk of extinction, recognised by the Ministry of the Environment in 2018.

ℹ️ Open 9:30–17:00 on weekdays (last entry 16:00), 9:30–18:00 at weekends/public holidays (last entry 17:00). Tickets: adults 1,780 yen, junior high/high school 1,400 yen, elementary school 900 yen, age 3 and over 500 yen; discounts for over-65s and people with disabilities. Direct access from the Kawashima service area on the Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway, without going through the toll gate.

🚉 江川 · 25 min walk

Sources: aquatotto.com · aquatotto.com · banzokubiology.com · gov-online.go.jp

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