Opened in 1964: the world's first aquarium with a tank recreating an ocean current.
Opened in 1964 as ‘Marine Palace’, it was the first aquarium in the world to build a circulating tank that reproduces the sea current; it was renovated and reopened in 2004 as ‘Umitamago’. The large tank recreates the jagged coastline of southern Oita, with about 90 species and 1,500 specimens from the Bungo Channel swimming around an artificial rock. Outdoors, on the beach on the bay side, visitors can get close to seals, sea lions and walruses: the interplay between the walruses and the trainers during the show is the facility's best-known attraction. The ‘Asobeach’ area was renovated on 19 April 2025.
Aquarium on Beppu Bay focused on local marine life, with the stated motto ‘an aquarium for making friends with the animals’: close contact instead of just the glass.
ℹ️ Open 9:00–17:00 (8:00–18:00 in peak periods: Golden Week, summer, autumn). Adults (high school and over) ¥3,000, children (elementary school to junior high) ¥1,500, young children (from age 4) ¥1,000, under 4s free. Tel. 097-534-1010.
🚉 Higashi-Beppu · 35 min walk
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