Art Aquarium in Mitsukoshi Ginza

Enter a fantastical, otherworldly museum of living art in Mitsukoshi Ginza, one of Tokyo’s best department stores.

Compared to the teamLab digital art exhibitions, the Art Aquarium in Mitsukoshi Ginza is a relatively quiet modern museum. This is good news for all of us who prefer less crowded spaces. Think of the Art Aquarium as offering the light-driven spectacle of teamLab, but with the serenity and restfulness that comes with watching fish swim around in a tank.

Goldfish appreciation is a centuries-old practice, first brought over to Japan from China sometime in the 1600s. The Chinese word for goldfish is a homophone for “gold in abundance,” and as such, the fish are considered symbols of wealth and good fortune. But they’re also appreciated by collectors and breeders for their beauty and elegance. The Art Aquarium pays homage to this centuries-old culture of goldfish appreciation, re-interpreting it for modern times.

Key to the entire concept of the Art Aquarium is that the goldfish are living art. In fact, one of the best things about the Art Aquarium is the sheer variety of goldfish you get to see in a single place — they come in so many shapes, sizes, and colours. They’re absolutely mesmerising to watch, and yes, they do photograph beautifully for Instagram. If you weren’t a fan of goldfish before, you will be after a visit to the Art Aquarium. Our walkthrough shows you some of the highlights.

Where to Get Tickets

The Art Aquarium is a popular place for both tourists and locals. While same-day tickets are often available at the machines near the entrance, you can purchase them in advance via Klook — it’s a straightforward, fuss-free process.

Upon payment, you’ll receive the tickets as QR codes in an email, which you should open on your smartphone on the day you’re visiting Purchasing them online nets you a ¥200 discount off the regular ticket price, which is ¥2700 for adults.

Depending on your selected date there are sometimes Klook-exclusive promotions you can take advantage of. For example, we’ve seen buy-2-get-1-free packages, combo tickets with other teamLab facilities in Tokyo, or even a ticket that allows you to enter without having to select a time slot beforehand.

When you arrive at the Art Aquarium, you’ll need to show the staff your tickets (QR code) and time slot, and then scan the QR code at the ticket barriers inside the museum entrance on the 8th floor.

Things to Know Before You Go

• Book timed tickets up to two months ahead. A limited number of tickets are available for each time slot.
• Photographs and videos are highly encouraged; however, auxiliary equipment like tripods and selfie sticks are not.
• The Art Aquarium is located on the 8th floor of the annex building, but you have to access it via an escalator on the 9th floor of the main Mitsukoshi Ginza building. There’ll be staff around to guide you.

Inside the Art Aquarium

After you enter the museum by flashing your QR code at the ticket barriers, you’ll enter a corridor lined with lanterns, followed by a large corridor lined with transparent columns. This is the ‘Goldfish Corridor,’ a suitably dramatic entrance to the aquarium. Dozens of goldfish swim through the illuminated tanks that shift colours from white to blue to pink. Backed by mirrors on the walls and ceiling, the columns appear to stretch into infinity.

The next space houses the “Goldfish Collection,” a wall of circular tanks showcasing rare varieties of fancy goldfish, like the Oranda Tricolour (Carassius Auratus). The plant decorations inside change with the seasons. During our last visit, hydrangeas had been placed in every tank. The darkness of the museum really brings out the vivid colouration of the goldfish, and the circular tank also reminds one of Chinese-style windows.

Walking onwards, you’ll see multiple glass “walls” filled with fish ahead of you. This is the “Goldfish Waterfall.” (We get the sense that creative names were not the highest priority here.) Hundreds of slim orange-and-white fish placidly swam inside these tanks as more water cascades across the glass, creating a constantly shifting, Impressionistic scene.

“A show of kingyo” was quite possibly our favourite exhibit in the whole museum. It consisted of a grid of glass square tanks filled to the brim with water, partially mirrored so as to create white cubes glowing in the darkness. Each one houses one to four goldfish and some plastic plants, and it’s here you can get up close to see the beauty of each variety, whether round, stout, bulging-eyed, tiny-finned, or elegant with long, swishy tails. It’s so much fun looking at their permanently-puzzled expressions.

The goldfish in this exhibit also have fascinating, evocative names. Some examples: Pearlscale, Celestial Eye, Bubble Eye, and Butterfly Tail.

Next is the “Origamirium,” which is one of the signature artworks in the museum, or at least the one that appears most prominently in all its promotional material. Dozens of small goldfish swim around in a huge, multi-faceted fishbowl illuminated by purple, blue, and white light. The strings of origami goldfish hanging from the ceiling are pretty neat, too.

“Chochinrium” is a fun artwork that takes Japanese festival lanterns as its inspiration. A wide corridor has spherical glass tanks under each lantern eave; the tanks act like magnifying glasses, making the goldfish seem to expand, shrink, stretch, and warp as it swims around inside. It’s both funny and surreally beautiful, to see their features take on such bizarre proportions.

The “Goldfish Forest” is quite pretty if a little bit cheesy, consisting of several bamboo-shaped columnar tanks filled with fish and bubbles rising to the surface. It’s reminiscent of the kimono-patterned “bamboo forest” in Arashiyama, and is especially popular for photos.

There are a few more artworks beyond the ones we’ve mentioned. While the overall concept and order of the exhibits remains the same, the museum staff update the exhibits according to the seasons. Don’t forget to bring your camera or smartphone to this museum, but equally, don’t forget to put it away and just watch the fish swim around.

When to Visit

There’s no right or wrong time to visit, but weekends are likely to be busier. It’s best to book your tickets in advance. Make sure you check the official website for the current schedule, as well as any upcoming closures.

How to Get to the Art Aquarium in Mitsuokoshi Ginza

The entrance to the Art Aquarium is located on the 9th floor of the main building of Mitsukoshi Ginza.

From Ginza Station, take Exit A7. You’ll be inside the main building. Take the elevator up to the 9th floor, and head for the escalators. You’ll know you’re on the correct floor if you see a large terrace with a lawn. Have your ticket (a QR code on your phone) ready for the staff to check. You’ll then head down to the 8th floor where the Art Aquarium is.

Name in English:
Art Aquarium

English address:
9F Mitsukoshi Ginza Terrace, 4-6-16 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 1044-8212

Japanese address:
〒104-8212 東京都中央区銀座4丁目6-16 銀座三越（入場受付・当日券：新館9階）

Opening hours:

10:00am-7:00pm (Closed if Mitsukoshi Ginza is also closed for maintenance.)

Admission:

From ¥3,800 for adults. Pricing is dynamic.

Nearest Transport:

3-minute walk from Ginza Station on the Ginza, Marunouchi, and Hibiya Line

Nearest Hotels:
:: Check availability and pricing for hotels near Art Aquarium on Booking.com or Agoda.com.

Telephone:
+81-3-3528-6721

Website: Official Website

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