First Japan-Affiliated Aquarium to Open in Taiwan

August 2, 2020

The first Japan-affiliated aquarium in Taiwan is slated to open on Friday in Taoyuan near Taipei.

The Xpark aquarium is run by Yokohama Hakkeijima Inc., the operator of Hakkeijima Sea Paradise in Yokohama, south of Tokyo. It is the first aquarium overseas for the Japanese company, which is under the wing of Seibu Holdings Inc.

A part of a shopping complex has been repurposed into the aquarium, showcasing about 300 sea creatures in 13 areas.

Highlights include a 15-meter-wide, 8-meter-high fish tank where a show involving a school of 6,000 fish will take place, as well as a display recreating an Amazon rainforest. Music composed by Japanese composer Jo Hisaishi will be played in the aquarium.

"We'll display creatures that can be viewed only in Taiwan, so we hope that the aquarium will be used for educational purposes," said Tadamitsu Fujii, the head of the Taiwanese subsidiary of Yokohama Hakkeijima.

Taiwan has successfully contained the novel coronavirus at an early stage, and people are eager to visit local tourism spots. The Japanese company hopes that the aquarium will attract many families during the summer holiday period.

For the time being, the daily number of visitors will be capped at 9,000 on weekdays and 10,000 on holidays in order to reduce infection risks. The company expects that 600,000 people will visit the aquarium in the first year. Jiji Press