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Zoo & Wildlife · Ibaraki · Kanto

Aqua World Oarai

アクアワールド・大洗

An aquarium on the Ibaraki coast whose symbol is the shark, keeping about 60 shark species among some 580 species in 60 tanks.

Updated 2026/10/30
Aqua World Oarai
Aqua World Oarai © リンク
Opening hours
Mon–Sun 09:00–17:00
Holidays 09:00–17:00

Last entry 16:00. Closed for maintenance on a few days in June and December; check the official calendar.

Admission
General admissionWith a disability certificate, elementary and junior high school students pay 550 yen and preschool children 200 yen; one companion per holder gets the same discount (not with physical disability certificate grades 3 to 6).
Adult ¥2,300
Junior High School ¥1,100
Preschool (3+) ¥400
Toddler (0-2) Free
Person with disabilities ¥1,150
Links
Official website English · Japanese
Access
8252-3, Isohamacho, Oarai Town, Higashiibaraki District, Ibaraki
〒 311-1301How to get there
Nearest stationNakaminato Station
那珂湊Minato Line23 min walk from the station
Nearest bus stopアクアワールド・大洗3 min walk from the bus stop

Aqua World Oarai is an aquarium on the coast at Oarai in Ibaraki Prefecture. Its full official name is Aqua World Ibaraki Prefectural Oarai Aquarium, and it opened in 2002. The building has a floor area of about 19,800 square meters, and some 68,000 animals of about 580 species live in its 60 tanks of different sizes.

Sharks

The shark is the aquarium's symbol, and about 60 shark species are kept here. In 2021 a sand tiger shark, shirowani (シロワニ), was born in its tanks. It was the first time the species had bred in Japan, and the aquarium was the fifth in the world to succeed. Besides the sand tiger, 30 other shark species have bred here, 16 of them for the first time in Japan.

Getting There

Map: Getting to Aqua World Oarai. Legend: Minato Line; Joban Line. Labelled stations: Katsuta, Mito, Chiba, Toride, Shimodate, Omiya, Minohamagakuen, Nakaminato.

Planning a trip? Fit this into a trip and Oni plans the rest around it.

At Hey Japan!, we strive to keep the places listed on our website as current as possible. However, location owners or management may alter opening times or modify admission requirements without prior notice. Check official websites before visiting.

Part ofAnimals
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