NIFREL

In short

A "living museum" located on the grounds of the large-scale complex "EXPOCITY." It is the first facility produced by the Osaka aquarium "Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan," and held its grand opening in November 2015. Combining an aquarium, a zoo, and an art museum, it divides its zones by the characteristics of creatures, such as colors and shapes.

• ​Zones focusing on color, swimming, and camouflage abilities​​: "Touching Colors," "Touching Swimming," "Touching Mimicry," and "Touching Poison," dedicated to poisonous creatures and introduced in March 2026, are among the zones that follow one after another
• ​WONDER MOMENTS​​: A mystical spatial artwork by artist Matsuo Takahiro that feels like gazing at stars from space
• ​Waterside and Movement​​: In "Touching Waterside," visitors can see large creatures that live by the water, even how they look underwater. "Touching Movement" is a play area where creatures come and go across a single stream

History and Highlights

​NIFREL​ is a "living museum" located on the grounds of the large-scale complex "EXPOCITY." It is the first facility produced by Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan and held its grand opening on November 19, 2015, coinciding with the opening of EXPOCITY. It continues to be managed by Kaiyukan Co., Ltd., the operator of Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan. Combining elements of an aquarium, a zoo, and an art museum, the facility focuses on the individuality of each living creature, using ingenious approaches to allow visitors to perceive their charms intuitively.

The concept is "touching the senses" (kansei ni fureru), from which the name NIFREL was derived. The theme of the exhibitions is "diversity." While many zoos and aquariums divide their zones by region or climate, NIFREL categorizes its zones based on the characteristics of creatures, such as colors and shapes. Each zone is presented through spatial displays that blend living creatures with lighting, music, and video.

Highlights and Experiences

• ​Zones focusing on color, swimming, and camouflage abilities​​: In "Touching Colors," colorful fish swim in 13 beautifully clear tanks. This is followed by "Touching Swimming," which highlights the diversity of swimming styles in a space using shadows; "Touching Mimicry," where visitors can experience creatures' ability to conceal themselves by blending into their surroundings; and "Touching Poison," dedicated to poisonous creatures, which was introduced in March 2026.
• ​WONDER MOMENTS​​: A mystical spatial artwork by artist Matsuo Takahiro that feels like gazing at stars from space. Water sculptures, flowers, trees, and the cosmos are depicted on a sphere as a shower of light cascades down.
• ​Waterside and Movement​​: In "Touching Waterside," an open space filled with light, visitors can observe large waterside creatures not only on land but also clearly underwater. "Touching Movement" is a play area where animals move freely across a single stream, with the human-accessible area extending right up to the stream.

Tips for Visitors

Explanations about the living creatures inside the facility are intentionally kept brief. Instead, they are accompanied by "Creature 5-7-5," capturing insights known only to the keepers in the 5-7-5 rhythm of haiku. It is supervised by haiku poet Natsui Itsuki. Be sure to also take note of the exterior design, including the rounded, white-based building and the diamond-shaped windows symbolizing water bubbles and connections. Walking approximately 380 meters north after exiting the building brings you to the Tower of the Sun in Expo '70 Commemorative Park.