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Wander through a bird sanctuary, have a picnic, ride a Ferris Wheel, ponder Tokyo bay and visit Tokyo Sea Life Park in just one day! It’s all possible when you visit Kasai Rinkai Koen, a large park located just over the Edogawa river from the heart of Tokyo. Take a break from the hectic pace of the city and enjoy a day at this great park!
Kasai Rinkai Park first opened to the public in 1989 and is the largest park in Tokyo’s 23 wards. Lovely grassy areas, a barbeque and picnic area and great views of Tokyo Bay from the “Crystal View” structure (pictured above) that was built in 1995 can be enjoyed by everyone who visits. Tokyo Sea Life Park, housed in partially in it’s signature glass dome, is one of the best aquariums in the Tokyo area and is home to over 530 different species of fish and other aquatic life.
One of the most impressive features at the aquarium is the Deep Sea Theater where visitors can sit in the center of a huge, 2,200 ton, donut-shaped tank filled with Blue-fin Tuna and watch, enthralled, as these large fish, some as long as three meters, swim rounds swiftly before their eyes. The museum also offers a variety of interesting exhibits on fish and other aquatic life native to Tokyo Bay, as well as rare fish from tropical, coral filled waters and those from the frigid waters of the Antarctic. Kids will have a great time at the tidal pool area where they can observe, and even touch, starfish and other creatures that make tidal areas their home. Tokyo Sea Life park is open 9:30AM -5 PM daily except Wednesdays (closed Thursday if Wednesday is a public holiday – last tickets sold at 4PM). Admission is Y700 for adults, Y350 for seniors, Y250 for children and free for the disabled and children under 12. (Tokyo Sea Life Park Map – PDF)
Also located in the park is a 27.1 ha bird sanctuary that incorporates a forest, marshlands, and both brackish and freshwater ponds. A two-story observatory and a paved walking trail with access to a number of watching windows offer visitors a chance to see and photograph native birds in a beautiful natural environment. Bird lovers and those looking for a relaxing walk away from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo will enjoy a stroll through this area of Kasai Rinkai Park.
Finish the day off with a ride on one of Japan’s largest Ferris Wheels. The Diamond & Flowers Ferris Wheel is 117 meters tall, rotates once every 17 minutes and includes 68 six-seat gondolas. Views of Tokyo Disneyland, Odaiba and if you visit on a clear day, Mount Fuji can be seen from this Ferris Wheel that is named after the beautiful patterns that can been seen in it’s lights after sunset. The wheel operates daily from 10AM -8PM (one hour later on weekends and holidays) with admission priced at Y700 (ages 3-69), Y400 (age 70+), Y350 (physically disabled with two wheelchair accessible gondolas). Spend a few hours, or a full day, exploring all that Kasai Rinkai Park has to offer. The entrance to the park is located just outside of Kasai-Rinkai Koen Station on the JR Keiyo Line and is only 15 minutes by train from Tokyo Station.
Image Credit: Flickr, 大洋の航海者, Ferris Wheel & Personal Collection
