What other travelers are saying about Oga Aquarium GAO
The coastal road drive from Akita to the Aquarium GAO is very scenic, passing by fishing villages, stretches of wind turbines and stunning views of Japan Sea.
There are lots of parking spots. Upon entering you will see a giant tank with big stingrays swimming among the fishes. The seals and sea lion performances during feeding time is very entertaining and the trainers are very professional. We can see it up close and it’s a lot of fun. There is also a polar bear but because the summer day is extremely hot, the bear needs to be protected and stayed in the shade. Overall a nice experience and very suitable for kids and families.
Outside the Aquarium, you can see the rugged coastline of the Oga Peninsula and the Lighthouse.
Oga Aquarium GAO is located along the Oga Peninsula coast in Oga, Akita Prefecture, Japan. From JR Oga Station, you can take the Namahage Shuttle Bus, which takes about 45 to 60 minutes to reach the aquarium. The aquarium sits right by the Sea of Japan, offering spectacular coastal views.
The aquarium is open from 9:00-17:00 from March to October, and 9:00-16:00 from November to February, with last entry 30 minutes before closing. The entrance fee is 1,000 yen for adults. Note that the aquarium may temporarily close for maintenance during winter, so it's best to check in advance.
The aquarium keeps and displays over 10,000 marine organisms, including more than 400 species from around the world. Popular attractions include polar bears (Gota and his family), penguins, seals, and sea lions. The main GAO Tank features about 2,000 fish from 40 species swimming in 800 tons of water, including green sea turtles, rays, and sharks. The aquarium is also the only place in Japan where Japanese sandfish (hatahata) are displayed year-round.
During the New Year's season from December 30th to January 3rd, divers dress up as Namahage and feed the fishes in the main tank. The aquarium also features a touch pool where you can handle sea creatures like sea urchins and sea cucumbers, and a Hatahata Museum dedicated to Akita's prefectural fish. The restaurant offers meals with panoramic views of the Sea of Japan.
The aquarium at Oga was a really cool place to have a look. We got to see polar bears, penguins, and upside down jellys who spend life on their heads apparently.
The polar bear was playing while we were there which was cool. The food there was awesome for the price.
We got to hold sea slugs. They felt horrible. Will do it again.
Enjoyable time. Aquariums were clean and well documented. Didn't expect to see polar bears and have close encounters with seals and sea lions, very exciting.
It was one of the best aquariums I went to. Very well presented information, with a lot of different species and frequent shows with the penguin, seals, and sea lions. The staff were very kind and accommodating. Will visit again if I ever go back to Oga peninsula!
Pretty good Aquarium. Polar bear looked miserable since it's summer. We went on a weekend and had to use the alternate parking lot up the hill from the aquarium but the view was great.
