Aquarium NIXE Castle
A space that combines tranquility and dynamism, with 20,000 creatures from 400 different species, the largest in Hokkaido.
Feel the pulse of life and healing of the sea creatures that live elegantly within the castle.
Aquarium NIXE Castle
A space that combines tranquility and dynamism, with 20,000 creatures from 400 different species, the largest in Hokkaido.
Feel the pulse of life and healing of the sea creatures that live elegantly within the castle.
NIXE Castle
The symbol of Marine Park NIXE is “NIXE Castle”, which was built based on the image of a real floating castle in Denmark, Éesko Castle.
The aquarium, themed on “Nordic romance and marine fantasy,” stands here under the Hokkaido sky, retaining the appearance of a beautiful old castle floating on the lake.
The dotted line is the viewing order inside NIXE Castle, so please use it as a reference.
Start on the second floor, take the escalator to the top floor, and then go down the slope to visit each floor.
The second floor is divided into exhibits on the left and right sides by the Crystal Tower, so you will visit this floor three times: at the start, in the middle, and at the end.
Start!
2F
Crystal Tower
At the entrance, you’ll be greeted by colorful fish swarming around in an 8-meter-tall water tank.
Among them, the Napoleon fish, named after the French emperor, is the king of the aquarium.
Watching it swim with its eyes bulging, it seems as if it’s mainly observing our way.
An escalator that feels like climbing over water
The floating escalator heads up to the top of the castle, with huge tanks of cold and warm currents below.
This escalator is extremely popular, as it feels like you’re walking on the sea, with sharks, rays, and sturgeons passing under your feet. However, it may work up a cold sweat for those who are afraid of heights (don’t worry, there is an elevator).
4F
Interaction Zone
There are three touch pools where you can touch rays, sharks, and horseshoe crabs, also known as “living fossils.”
Anyone is welcome to touch the creatures, but please be gentle when interacting with them.
There are places to wash your hands, so please wash your hands before and after your experience, as well as after the experience, to ensure the health of the exhibits.
Goldfish Kaleidoscope
On this floor, there is a goldfish kaleidoscope, which is also a very popular photo spot. Here, you can experience the immersive feeling of being inside a large kaleidoscope. About 11 varieties of goldfish, including Ryukin and Ranchu, gracefully swim in a dome-shaped aquarium reflecting the ever-changing colors of the lighting.
3F
Aqua gallery
This floor features aquariums of various sizes and shapes as a canvas for enjoying the underwater world as if it were a slice of the ocean.
In addition to popular creatures such as the familiar clownfish, wolffish, and garden eels, there are also exhibits of Danish pottery and shells from around the world, as well as places associated with NIXE Castle.
rings, earrings, etc. (additional charge)
Pearl extraction experience
We also hold workshops (fees apply) where you can extract real pearls from Akoya oysters.
Open the oyster you chose, search for it, and get it. It’s a simple, yet exciting experience.
By the way, the size of the shell is not proportional to the size of the pearl, so choose the one that feels right to you.
2F
Mysterious sea creatures corner
In the “Mysterious Creatures of the Sea” section, you can encounter strange creatures that have adapted to various environments. This is also the area where special exhibitions based on a theme are held.
The aquarium tank with the sunken ship object is also impressive, and many visitors take photos with this as the background.
1F
Aqua Tunnel
The two aqua tunnels at NIXE Castle allow you to look down on the gigantic tanks you saw from above on the water escalator, and then look up from below. First you pass through a 300-ton cold current tank tunnel, where cold water inhabitants such as Alaska pollock, Atka mackerel, and large sturgeons live. Beyond that is a warm current tank tunnel containing 620 tons of water, where sharks and rays swim overhead and small fish such as horse mackerel seem to pour in. Both the warm current tank, where you can enjoy the spectacular movements, and the cold current tank, where many fish are relaxing and resting near the glass, are worth seeing.
Shop Atlantis
Once you leave the tunnel, you’ll find Shop Atlantis, with its large entasis that reaches all the way to the ceiling.
This souvenir shop is designed to resemble an underwater city, and you can enjoy choosing original goods and seasonal souvenirs.
2F
A healing space with jellyfish
As you climb the slope, you will come to the “Jellyfish Healing Space.” Watching the jellyfish floating softly against the backdrop of fantastic lighting is enough to make you lose track of time. There is also a “Jellyfish Lab” where you can observe the ecology and reproduction of jellyfish.
NIXE Castle is also home to 10 species of marine life that were the first in Japan to be successfully bred and have won numerous breeding awards. Finally, you will head to the entrance through a corridor where these awards are displayed.
Check!
If you’re lucky, you might even be able to see the tanks being cleaned and the fish being fed. Along the way, there are photo spots with shark sculptures. Be sure to also take a look at the rare fish that have won breeding awards.。
Photo spot for the shark sculpture
Aquarium cleaning scene
Gallery about the sea
Small balloonfish
Colorful coral reefs
