Should we go to Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan and Tennoji Zoo?

I'm an animal lover. I love all animals except for ants, cockroaches and spiders... but I digress.

I've read a lot of different reviews, and I'm torn whether or not we should visit Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan and Tennoji Zoo in Osaka.

Whale shark at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan (Photo from Odigo)

First, let's talk about Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan. Some say the aquarium is really nice and that you shouldn't miss it when you're in Osaka; others say it's a heartbreak for animal lovers. They pity the whale shark because it's put in a tank that's too small for it and with no vegetation. They say the penguins are stressed because people take pictures with the flash on even when flash photography is prohibited. They also say that the manta rays in the petting zoo have nowhere to hide when they want to get away from hands that poke at them.

Elephant in Tennoji Zoo (Photo from Welcome Kansai)

As for Tennoji Zoo, I've read similar stories. Some say they enjoyed going there; others say avoid it at all costs! They say the animals don't seem happy there, that they're obviously stressed and aren't in good condition, and that they're put into enclosures too small for them.

It's my principle to not patronize something that will encourage the mistreatment of animals. For example, I do not eat shark's fin siomai or soup because I do not want sharks killed just for their fins. And I will never buy dogs and cats from pet stores because I have seen (on YouTube) the abuse and mistreatment that goes on in puppy mills where the animals are bred. But I've never been to an aquarium or zoo as large as the ones in Osaka, and I'd like to go there. I'm not even sure what the reality is. Different people have different opinions.

To go or not to go? That is the question.