Aquamarine Fukushima — Interactive Marine Park & Kuroshio Exhibits

Aquamarine Fukushima (アクアマリンふくしま) is a world-class marine science museum combining aquarium, interactive exhibits, and environmental education facilities along the Iwaki coast. The complex is architecturally striking — a glass-and-steel triangular building resembling a lighthouse beacon, housing 4,000+ marine creatures across 60+ tanks. The centerpiece is the massive Shiome-no-Umi (潮目の海, 'Meeting Seas') tank (2,000 tons) representing the confluence of the warm Kuroshio Current and cold Oyashio Current off Fukushima's coast — the world's richest fishing grounds where Pacific bluefin tuna, bonito, sardines, and jellies swim together in a recreation of the open ocean ecosystem.

Unlike traditional aquariums focused on entertainment, Aquamarine emphasizes ecological education and conservation. Exhibits explain the Kuroshio-Oyashio mixing zone's importance to global marine biodiversity, sustainable fishing practices, and tsunami recovery efforts (the facility was heavily damaged by the 2011 tsunami and reopened in 2012). Interactive zones include touch pools with starfish and sea cucumbers, glass-bottom boat tours over seal habitats, and behind-the-scenes glimpses of aquarium operations. The rooftop offers panoramic Pacific Ocean views and houses the Janome Beach tide pool recreation.