Fukushima Prefecture's new state of the art aquarium, Aquamarine Fukushima opened its doors on July 15, 2000. Located at Onahama Port in Iwaki, the aquarium, set against the backdrop of the Pacific Ocean, is being heralded as an exciting, innovative educational facility.

Designed in a way which emphasises the vastness of the ocean, the user friendly building spans four storeys. Visitors enter on the first level, where they are transported back in time with a display of ancient fossils and a live display of creatures such as nautili and horseshoe crabs, which inhabit the seas in the same form they did centuries ago.

An escalator then transports visitors up to the fourth floor, where they step into a botanical garden, complete with trees, a waterfall and a glass dome roof, which lets in natural sunlight and gives the illusion of wide open space. Emphasising the importance of harmony between humans and nature, the garden recreates the beauty of Fukushima Prefecture.
The surface of the aquarium's two storey tanks can also be seen here, in addition to compounds holding marine mammals such as walrus, sea otters and sea lions.

The third floor features the Oceanic Galleria, which contains resources enabling further study of marine culture and interactive activities. Here, workshops will be held by some of the over three hundred volunteers who will assist with the running of educational programmes at the facility. This floor also has exhibits on northern and southern oceans, including a mangrove forest and tropical fish. The highlight of the aquarium however, is the second floor, where visitors can walk through a triangular shaped tunnel separating two tanks of different tempretures, the first tank of its kind in the world (top).

Characterized by its interactive, hands-on exhibits, Aquramarine Fukushima looks sure to be a popular attraction, where people of all ages can learn more about the sea and its life in an enjoyable way. The aquarium is open from 9:30 to 17:30 every day except Tuesday, with hours extended until 19:00 during the school summer holidays (20 July to 31 August).