In 1975, the World's Exposition or World's Fair was held in Okinawa, Japan at the Ocean Expo Park. Afterward, the park began to lose tourism and it was believed that a new aquarium would help revive the area and celebrate Okinawa's marine tradition. The aquarium was designed by Yukifusa Kokuba and was opened on 1 November 2002.

"Churaumi" was selected as the name of the aquarium by public vote amongst Japanese people. "Chura" means "beautiful" or "graceful" in the Okinawan Japanese dialect, and "umi" means "ocean" in Japanese.

Visitors at the Kuroshio Sea main tank

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Rays and sharks at the Churaumi Aquarium

The aquarium is a part of the Ocean Expo Park located in Motobu, Okinawa. The aquarium is made up of four floors, with tanks containing deep sea creatures, sharks, coral and tropical fish. The aquarium is set on 19,000 m² of land, with a total of 77 tanks containing 10,000 m³ of water. Water for the saltwater exhibits is pumped into the aquarium from a source 350 m offshore, 24 hours a day.^[4]

The main tank, called the Kuroshio Sea, is 35 metres (115 ft) long, 27 metres (89 ft) wide and 10 metres (33 ft) deep.^[5] It holds 7,500 cubic metres (1,981,000 US gal) of water and features an acrylic glass panel measuring 8.2 by 22.5 metres (27 by 74 ft) with a thickness of 60 centimetres (24 in),^[6] the largest such panel in the world when the aquarium was opened.^[1][7]

Whale sharks and manta rays are kept alongside many other fish species in the main tank.^[1] The first manta ray birth at the aquarium was in 2007.^[8] As of July 2010, there have been a total of four manta rays born in the aquarium.^[9]

The aquarium holds 80 species of coral. It is one of only a few aquariums that keeps whale sharks in captivity, and is currently trying to breed them.^[1]

Close to the Aquarium there are two different dolphin shows in which viewers can touch them and watch them perform in a show. There is also a manatee exhibit featuring manatees presented to the aquarium by the Mexican government. A recently closed exhibit featured assorted sharks. There is also Emerald Beach which is accessible by the 200 yen tram.^{[citation needed]}

Ocean Expo Park which holds the aquarium also has a selection of other activities. A native Okinawan Museum, Oceanic Culture Museum, Tropical Dream Center, and a Tropical & Subtropical Arboretum to a historic village.^[1]