[ Tosashimizu City , Kochi Prefecture ] Enjoy the Feature Articles of Tatsukushi even without a swimsuit!
![[ Tosashimizu City , Kochi Prefecture ] Enjoy the Feature Articles of Tatsukushi even without a swimsuit!](https://resources.matcha-jp.com/resize/720x2000/2025/05/26-234486.webp)
Forgot to bring your swimsuit? Can't swim? Here are some spots where you can easily enjoy underwater activities and feel like you're in the ocean.
Introduction
Tatsukushi is home to Sakurahama Beach, the only swimming beach in Tosashimizu City , and many sea activities such as snorkeling and diving, but there is also a facility where you can enjoy the beautiful underwater world of Tatsukushi while wearing your everyday clothes.
This time, we will introduce four facilities in Tatsukushi.
- Table of Contents
- Ashizuri Submarine Aquarium: One of the few underwater observation towers in Japan
- View of Tatsukushi Bay from a glass-bottom boat on the "Glass Boat"
- Ashizuri Aquarium SATOUMI, the southernmost aquarium in Shikoku
- Shells are the main attraction! "Sea Gallery" is a space designed to highlight the beauty of shells.
- summary
Ashizuri Submarine Aquarium: One of the few underwater observation towers in Japan
![[ Tosashimizu City , Kochi Prefecture ] Enjoy the Feature Articles of Tatsukushi even without a swimsuit!](https://resources.matcha-jp.com/resize/720x2000/2025/05/26-234507.webp)
There are currently only seven underwater observation facilities open in Japan, and the Ashizuri Submarine Aquarium is the only one in the Chugoku and Shikoku regions.
This facility opened in 1972, and its unique architecture can be seen from Sakurahama Beach, which at first glance seems like a mismatch, but its strong contrast with the blue sea and lush mountains of Tatsukushi Bay makes it a beloved landmark of Tatsukushi Underwater Park.
![[ Tosashimizu City , Kochi Prefecture ] Enjoy the Feature Articles of Tatsukushi even without a swimsuit!](https://resources.matcha-jp.com/resize/720x2000/2025/05/26-234546.webp)
After descending 64 steps to the observation space about 7m below sea level, you can see the ocean floor through 16 circular windows.
![[ Tosashimizu City , Kochi Prefecture ] Enjoy the Feature Articles of Tatsukushi even without a swimsuit!](https://resources.matcha-jp.com/resize/720x2000/2025/05/26-234560.webp)
It truly feels like a natural aquarium, where you can see a variety of marine life, including reef-building corals, sea breams, porcupine fish, colorful tropical fish, and migratory fish.
access
787-0450 4032 Misaki , Tosashimizu City, Kochi Prefecture
About 50 minutes by car from Shimanto City(via Furusato Forest Road, private parking available)
Kochi Southwest Bus to Kaiteikan-mae bus stop and walk for about 10 minutes
View of Tatsukushi Bay from a glass-bottom boat on the "Glass Boat"
![[ Tosashimizu City , Kochi Prefecture ] Enjoy the Feature Articles of Tatsukushi even without a swimsuit!](https://resources.matcha-jp.com/resize/720x2000/2025/06/02-235060.webp)
A glass-bottom boat where part of the bottom of the boat is made of glass, allowing you to see what is happening underwater
It is available in Okinawa and other parts of Japan, but it has also become a popular activity here in Tatsukushi, where it has been in operation for over half a century.
*Two companies, " Tatsukushi Tourist Ship " and "Tatsukushi Underwater Tourist", operate glass-bottom boats in Tatsukushi.
As of June 2025, Tatsukushi Underwater Tour is currently closed.
![[ Tosashimizu City , Kochi Prefecture ] Enjoy the Feature Articles of Tatsukushi even without a swimsuit!](https://resources.matcha-jp.com/resize/720x2000/2025/06/02-235082.webp)
There is a seating area surrounding the glass at the bottom of the boat, from which you can peer down into the ocean.
![[ Tosashimizu City , Kochi Prefecture ] Enjoy the Feature Articles of Tatsukushi even without a swimsuit!](https://resources.matcha-jp.com/resize/720x2000/2025/06/02-235100.webp)
Minokoshi Bay is home to one of Japan's largest colonies of coral reefs, which can be seen from a glass-bottom boat when the tide is high enough.
Tatsukushi Tourist Ship Homepage
access
"Tatsukushi Tourist Steamship" *Ticket booth
About 45 minutes by car from Shimanto City(via Furusato Forest Road, parking available)
1 minute walk from Kochi Southwest Bus "Tatsukushi" stop
"Tatsukushi Underwater Tour" *Currently suspended
About 50 minutes by car from Shimanto City(via Furusato Forest Road, parking available)
2 minutes walk from Kochi Southwest Bus "Kaiteikan-mae" stop
Ashizuri Aquarium SATOUMI, the southernmost aquarium in Shikoku
![[ Tosashimizu City , Kochi Prefecture ] Enjoy the Feature Articles of Tatsukushi even without a swimsuit!](https://resources.matcha-jp.com/resize/720x2000/2025/06/02-235121.webp)
This aquarium was renovated and reopened in 2020.
The museum recreates the rich waters of Tatsukushi Bay, which is influenced by the Kuroshio Current, and exhibits approximately 350 species and 15,000 living creatures.
In the largest aquarium in Shikoku, you can observe coral colonies and tropical fish swimming. Primeval forests and deep-sea ecosystems are also introduced, and the exhibits are unique in that they are integrated with nature.
![[ Tosashimizu City , Kochi Prefecture ] Enjoy the Feature Articles of Tatsukushi even without a swimsuit!](https://resources.matcha-jp.com/resize/720x2000/2025/06/02-235134.webp)
You can see a variety of creatures, including river fish from the mountain streams, tropical and saltwater fish swimming in the ocean around Tatsukushi with its series of strangely shaped rocks, and deep-sea fish exhibited in a space that recreates the depths of the ocean, making you feel as if you are in the ocean.
![[ Tosashimizu City , Kochi Prefecture ] Enjoy the Feature Articles of Tatsukushi even without a swimsuit!](https://resources.matcha-jp.com/resize/720x2000/2025/06/02-235136.webp)
The building is filled with various ingenious features, some of which you may not notice at first glance.
We recommend taking your time to look around carefully.
Ashizuri Oceanarium Satoumi Official Homepage
access
787-0450 4032 Misaki , Tosashimizu City, Kochi Prefecture
Approximately 50 minutes by car from Shimanto City(private parking available)
1 minute walk from Kochi Southwest Bus stop "SATOUMI-mae"
Shells are the main attraction! "Sea Gallery" is a space designed to highlight the beauty of shells.
![[ Tosashimizu City , Kochi Prefecture ] Enjoy the Feature Articles of Tatsukushi even without a swimsuit!](https://resources.matcha-jp.com/resize/720x2000/2025/06/02-235162.webp)
The Tosashimizu City Tatsukushi Shell Museum, commonly known as the "Sea Gallery," displays a vast collection of shells collected by Kazuo Kurohara, a Western-style painter who was active in Tosashimizu City .
The beautiful architecture, characterized by a complex white roof that is said to have been modeled after a giant clam, was designed by Masako Hayashi, a pioneer among female architects in Japan, and the interior is designed to beautifully display Kurohara's collection of shells.
![[ Tosashimizu City , Kochi Prefecture ] Enjoy the Feature Articles of Tatsukushi even without a swimsuit!](https://resources.matcha-jp.com/resize/720x2000/2025/06/02-235165.webp)
The interior has walls that are mainly dark blue and indirect lighting, making you feel as if you are under the sea.
![[ Tosashimizu City , Kochi Prefecture ] Enjoy the Feature Articles of Tatsukushi even without a swimsuit!](https://resources.matcha-jp.com/resize/720x2000/2025/06/02-235175.webp)
The top of the roof is made of a transparent material, allowing natural light to enter.
In the middle of the second floor there is an exhibition space made of glass on both sides, and by looking up from below you can get the feeling that you are looking at it from under the sea.
access
787-0452 23-8 Tatsukushi, Tosashimizu City, Kochi Prefecture
About 45 minutes by car from Shimanto City(parking available)
3 minutes walk from Kochi Southwest Bus "Tatsukushi" stop
summary
Above are four facilities where you can enjoy the sea of Tatsukushi in your everyday clothes.
The four facilities above are close enough to be visited on foot, and walking paths have been built to coincide with the opening of SATOUMI, so if you have about half a day to spare,
We also recommend taking a leisurely stroll around the area, taking in views of Tatsukushi Beach and Sakurahama Beach.
There is also a "3-Museum Set Ticket" available, which allows you to enter the SATOUMI and Sea Gallery (plus the John Manjiro Museum) at a discount. (Can be purchased at all 3 facilities.)
Gurutto Tatsukushi 3-Museum Set Ticket (John Manjiro Museum)
The Hata region of Kochi Prefecture is located at the southwestern tip of Shikoku, and is a peninsula that juts out into the Pacific Ocean, facing Tosa Bay to the east and Bungo Channel to the west. It is made up of three cities, two towns, and one village: Hara Village. It is a natural powerhouse rich in blessings, including the nationally famous Shimanto River and Cape Ashizuri, the blessings of the Kuroshio Current that flows along the coast, and the blessings of mountains that boast the largest area of forests in the country.
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