Hi again! This is Kurumi! This time, I would like to recommend an aquarium, Kobe Port Museum “átoa”, to people who are visiting Sannomiya or Motomachi, which is the center of Kobe in Hyogo Prefecture. The aquarium is quite new, and the opening date is in October 2021. This aquarium is a new type and is more like a digital art museum. You will enjoy their combination of a digital art space with an aquarium. I’m pretty sure it will be your new experience, and people who are not that into aquariums will still enjoy it. It is located in the south of Sannomiya, and it takes about 20 mins from Sannomiya Station and Motomachi Station on foot. There is a bus called Port Loop, which you can take from Sannomiya Station too.
There are three points I would like to recommend about átoa!
1. Their use of the digital art
The colorful lighting is fantastical! I was captivated by the lighting the moment I entered the aquarium. They have six rooms with different concepts, and their digital art has been tailored to each concept. My favorite one is MIYABI(“elegance” or “grace” in Japanese), and I believe you can feel Japan the most in this space out of the six concepts.
2. Animals other than fish
In addition to fish, there are also otters, capybaras, wallabies, giant tortoises, etc… You can see feeding of the otters, and the giant tortoises walking around the facility outside their cages. I loved watching the giant tortoises wandering around. The other thing I enjoyed was their raffle. You can do the raffle for 1,000 yen. This stuffed toy raffle has no blanks, and regardless of the prize you win, you can choose between two options: a polka-dot stingray or an otter. They are fluffy and so cute!
3. Food (Rooftop snack shop and food court)
When you go to their rooftop floor, there is a shop that sells cute snacks such as otter motif buns and biscuits. I recommend them because they are really cute and photogenic! If you are hungry they also have a food court once you exit the aquarium on the first floor. There is a wide variety of restaurants, and it is spacious, so I think you can relax there. I had paella for lunch at Setouchi Umi no Bistro, and that was amazing!
If you are visiting Kobe and have some time, átoa is an option for you to visit and enjoy 🙂