Fukuoka. A Sunday stroll around the Uminonakamichi Seaside Park and Marine World Aquarium. Just a little teaser what to expect. Great place to spend a whole day. Accessible via train or ferry.
Uminonakamichi Seaside Park (海の中道海浜公園, Uminonakamichi Kaihin Kōen), is a sprawling, family oriented public park located on a narrow peninsula across the bay from central Fukuoka. The park is made up of several different areas including flower gardens, playgrounds, an amusement park with ferris wheel, sports fields, a water park, a zoo and large open spaces and lawns perfect for picnicking.
Uminonakamichi Seaside Park measures nearly four kilometers from end to end, and many visitors will find it too expansive to cover on foot. To make the park more easily explorable, there is a network of cycling trails, and bicycles can be rented at the entrance gates for 400 yen per three hours or 700 yen per day. Alternatively, a bus operates seasonally between the park’s major sites during spring and autumn and costs 100 yen per ride or 300 yen for a day pass.
Marine World Uminonakamichi, an aquarium which focuses on the aquatic life found around Kyushu. The aquarium’s main tank is a huge, seven meter deep pool filled with all different kinds of marine life including over 120 sharks of 20 different varieties. There are also several outdoor tanks where you can experience feeding dolphins and sea lions.
In addition, the aquarium features a huge stadium pool where dolphin and sea lion shows are held daily. The stadium opens up to Hakata Bay on one side, giving spectators a beautiful view out to central Fukuoka during the shows. Note that the aquarium requires a separate entrance fee from Uminonakamichi Seaside Park.
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