Sendai Umino-Mori Aquarium
Last updated: September 13, 2026
Tohoku's largest aquarium opens on its own sea: Sendai Umino-Mori's great tank — 13 metres wide, 6.5 high, and uncovered at the surface — holds a shimmering slice of the Sanriku coast, sardine shoals and rays circling under natural light. Around it, some 100 tanks carry 300 species and 50,000 creatures from Tohoku's waters and far beyond, and the Umino-Mori Stadium stages the region's most energetic dolphin and sea lion performances, close enough for the splash zone to mean it. It is the marine heart of a city that lives with the Pacific.
Itinerary
- Stop at: Sendai Umino-Mori Aquarium
Frequently Asked Questions
A 13-by-6.5-metre window onto the Sanriku fishing grounds, left open to daylight at the surface so the sardine shoals flash silver as they turn — the aquarium's signature scene and a tribute to the coast's recovery. Time your circuit to pass it more than once; it never plays the same way twice.
The Umino-Mori Stadium runs dolphin and sea lion performances several times a day — the liveliest in Tohoku, with the front rows sold as a splash zone in spirit if not in name. Showtimes are posted at the entrance, so plan the rest of the visit around one.
Take the JR Senseki Line from Sendai Station to Nakanosakae — about 18 minutes — then walk 15 minutes toward the port, or catch the shuttle that meets the trains in season. Drivers find generous free parking by the entrance.
Very — touch pools, penguins at close range, the stadium shows and hands-on corners pace the visit for young attention spans, and the whole building is stroller-friendly. Two to three hours covers it comfortably with time to linger at the big tank.