Japan's Kasai Marine Park is really two parks in one
Kasai Marine Park in Tokyo’s Edogawa Ward is a large, beautiful park on the shores of Tokyo Bay.
About six miles from Tokyo Station, the compound is filled with spacious grounds and hundreds of Japanese black pine trees.
The 200-acre Kasai Marine Park opened in 1989 and much of the natural environment has been recreated along the coast between the Arakawa and the Edogawa, two major rivers that flow into Tokyo Bay.
Yasumasa Tomita of Tokyo Sea Life Park, the aquarium built inside the park, says the aquarium was built in commemoration of Tokyo Ueno Zoological Gardens’ 100th anniversary. It is the only aquarium in Japan where 80 tuna can be seen turning round and round in a large 2,200-ton water tank.
The aquarium has 60,000 examples of roughly 540 marine species. Visitors can see penguins swimming in the water through the glass windows built below the water. The Kasai Marine Park also has the Seaside Birdlife Park where wild birds can thrive in a man-made lake and forest.
Also inside the park is Japan’s second largest Ferris wheel. At almost 384 feet, it’s second only to Fukuoka’s Ferris wheel, and takes 17 minutes to ride.
Kasai Marine Park is just one stop before Tokyo Disneyland (Maihama Station) and one stop after the Yumenoshima Tropical Plant Dome (Shinkiba Station) on JR KEIYO Line. The metropolitan park is close and cheap and is a highly recommended family picnic area.
If you go ...
¶ Kasai Marine Park is open throughout the year at 6-2-3 Rinkai-cho, Edogawa-ku, Tokyo.
Admission: Free.
Directions: JR Keiyo Line to Nishi Kasai Station.
Information: 03-5696-1331.
¶ Tokyo Seaside Park Aquarium is inside the Kasai Marine Park. It is closed Wednesdays. It is at 6-2-3 Rinkai-cho, Edogawa-ku, Tokyo.
Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (last admission is at 4 p.m.).
Parking: 700 yen for two hours.
Admission: Adult 700 yen, junior high student 250 yen, children and senior citizens older than 65 free.
Information: 03-3869-5152.
¶ Ferris wheel, 68 cars (six passengers in a car), 17 minutes
Hours: Open throughout the year, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Sat. and Sun. until 9 p.m.)
Admission: 700 yen.
Information: 03-3686-6911.
¶ Hotel Seaside Edogawa has 26 Japanese-style rooms and one western-style room. The hotel is inside the park. People use the hotel to visit Disneyland mostly, according to the hotel.
Cost: 13,000 to 17,000 yen per person.
Information: 03-3804-1180.
