Nara Kingyo Museum Tickets

Goldfish have been bred as living art in the Yamato region for centuries, and the Nara Kingyo Museum runs with that heritage in the most modern way imaginable. Inside the Mi Nara shopping complex, it stages hundreds of ornamental goldfish in mirrored rooms, neon grottoes and flower lined galleries designed almost entirely around photography. It is kitsch, colourful and unashamedly fun.

What to expect

The museum unfolds as a series of themed rooms where tanks are built into chandeliers, columns and walls of mirrors, with projection and lighting shifting the mood from fairytale to disco as you move through. Between the spectacle there is real substance for fish fanciers, with prized varieties on display that show why Yamato goldfish breeding, centred on nearby Yamatokoriyama, became famous across Japan.

Fitting it into a Nara visit

Most travellers come to Nara for the deer, Todai-ji and the old town, and the Kingyo Museum makes an offbeat counterpoint, especially in the heat of summer or on a wet afternoon. It sits away from the main temple district, so treat it as a separate stop rather than a walk on addition to the park. An hour is usually plenty.

Getting there

Mi Nara is a bus or taxi ride from JR Nara and Kintetsu Nara stations, with local buses serving the complex in around 15 minutes. From Osaka, the Kintetsu Nara Line reaches Nara in about 40 minutes from Namba, and from Kyoto the Kintetsu Kyoto Line runs direct.

Frequently asked questions

Is photography allowed? Yes, the whole museum is designed for it.

Is it a serious aquarium? No, it is an art and photo experience built around goldfish, and better enjoyed on those terms.

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