Written by Aarohi Narain
Enter a swirling, color‑soaked art trip under the sea.
What to expect
Collaborating with creative team EiM, famed director and photographer Mika Ninagawa will take over the Planets room at Kobe’s urban aquarium, Átoa.
Planets presents the cosmic expanse of outer space with Japan’s largest spherical aquarium at the center. Ninagawa’s new installation will utilize the room’s lights and lasers to offer her own spin on the dreamlike space, further blending celestial and underwater realms.
Tropical fish glide through shifting palettes and atmospheric lightscapes. The evolutionary engineering of form, movement, and iridescence blends with the precision of human-made imaging and projection.
It’s not Ninagawa’s first dive beneath the water’s surface. In 2017, she transformed Tokyo’s Sumida Aquarium with vivid floral backdrops and kaleidoscopic projections, turning its jellyfish displays into art in motion.
She is also the force behind notable exhibitions such as Eternity in a Moment and Lights of the Beyond, Shadows of This World.
Schedule
This special exhibition runs from Friday, August 29, until November 3. The venue is open from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. every day, and last entry is at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets
Same‑day tickets are ¥2,800 for adults, ¥2,400 for junior high and high school students, ¥1,600 for elementary school students. They’re ¥600 for infants, with children under three admitted free.
Date‑specific advance tickets are slightly cheaper. They cost ¥2,600 for adults, ¥2,300 for junior high and high school students, and ¥1,500 for elementary school students. ¥500 for infants, with children under three free. Tickets are available from up to one month before your visit.
How to get there
Átoa is at Kobe Port Museum, a roughly 18-minute walk from Sannomiya Station or 15 minutes from Motomachi Station.
Organizers may cancel events, alter schedules, or change admission requirements without notice. Always check official sites before heading to an event.