Otaru Aquarium is a medium-sized aquarium located along the scenic coastline of Otaru. It is easy to reach by bus from Platform No. 3 near Otaru Station, with services running frequently throughout the day.
The aquarium is divided into both indoor and outdoor zones, offering a good variety of exhibits and experiences. The indoor area features tanks showcasing marine life from Hokkaido and beyond, while the outdoor section provides a more natural seaside environment where visitors can observe marine mammals such as sea lions, seals, walruses, and penguins.
Although it is not one of Japan's largest aquariums, the combination of animal shows, coastal scenery, and relaxed atmosphere makes it an enjoyable attraction for families and animal lovers.
Overall, a worthwhile half-day trip from central Otaru with a nice balance of marine exhibits and beautiful ocean views.
Super cute way to spend a few hours! If you go when they open at 9am gives you enough time to see all the fish tanks and inside stuff before the shows start! And no one else was there early! There’s a dolphin, seal, and walrus show! Make sure you’re there by noon for the penguin picnic (only once a day) where they walk them down to play around it’s adorable. While a few of the inside tanks seemed a little small, and the place could use a coat of paint it was still a lot of fun and you can tell the animals are well taken care of. Only takes a few hours and there’s a Ferris wheel next door! Oh and don’t buy tickets online buy them there every website wanted more 🙄
Truly a unique experience at Otaru Aquarium. What sets it apart is the engaging and interactive shows that they put on with the animals. I personally enjoy the sea lion show, I think having that many do tricks is a first for me. You can see that staff really respect and love the animals here.
There is a bus that stops here so it is fairly simple although it seems far from city center.
A very relaxing place to visit and explore. The staff were extremely friendly and cheerful, which made the experience even better. The animals looked very well taken care of and genuinely loved, which is always great to see.
One of the highlights was the penguin parade — they are incredibly adorable! There is also a direct bus from JR Otaru Station, making it quite easy to visit even for foreign travelers.
We took the bus from Otaru station to the aquarium for ¥240 per person which can be paid using an IC card like the Kitaca, Suica etc. Bought the tickets at the door which is just a short wait. The facility is in need of upgrading as most reviews stated but the animals looks like they are well looked after. We particularly enjoyed watching the penguin march. The dolphin show is entertaining but only in Japanese. The admission fee is reasonable priced at ¥1300 per person during winter. Hopefully they will get an upgrade in the near future as some of the bigger fish looks like they need more space.
