Aqua World Ibaraki Prefectural Oarai Aquarium

Aqua World Ibaraki Oarai Aquarium is one of Japan’s largest and most renowned aquariums, located in Oarai Town, Higashiibaraki District, Ibaraki Prefecture.
With the concept “Come on, a new sea!” it offers numerous exhibits and live performances that let visitors experience the new charms of the sea and life through all five senses.
It houses about 580 species and 68,000 individual creatures, making its scale among the largest in Japan.
It is especially famous as the aquarium with the largest number of shark species in Japan, drawing attention from both domestic and international visitors.

🦈 A Sanctuary for Sharks — No. 1 in Breeding and Research
Aqua World Oarai keeps about 60 species of sharks, earning Japan’s top reputation in both diversity and research achievements.
From sand tiger sharks swimming with their mouths wide open, to streamlined sharks with graceful bodies, to small species with distinctive appearances, visitors can see a wide variety of sharks.
Since opening in 2002, the aquarium has especially focused on breeding the viviparous sand tiger shark.
As a result, on June 17, 2021, it became the first in Japan to successfully breed this species in an aquarium tank.
The baby shark (No. 9), born at 0.9 m in length and 4.3 kg in weight, has now grown into a fine adult over 2 meters long and can be seen swimming majestically in the “Shark Ocean 1” tank.
Furthermore, on May 11, 2023, it achieved the second successful breeding case in Japan, and in March 2025, No. 3, an individual that had been pregnant for three consecutive periods, gave birth again, bringing new life with the arrival of No. 11.
These achievements have been highly praised in Japan and abroad as breeding research for the endangered sand tiger shark.
In addition, the aquarium has succeeded in breeding 30 shark species in tanks, 16 of which were first-ever breeding cases in Japan.
Most recently, baby striped sharks and Australian marble catsharks were born, showing that the results of its research continue to evolve.

🌊 Captivating Exhibit Zones
At Aqua World, 60 tanks of various sizes are arranged by theme, allowing visitors to experience the diversity and beauty of life.

🐠 The Great Tank of the Sea of Encounter
A large tank recreating the boundary where the Kuroshio and Oyashio currents meet off the coast of Ibaraki.
Centered around about 20,000 Japanese sardines, more than 80 species of marine creatures swim together in schools.
In particular, “IWASHI LIFE,” where the sardine school dances as one in sync with sound and light, is truly spectacular and a popular program that conveys the energy of life.

🦈 The Eternal Sea Zone
An area where visitors can observe the power of sharks, rulers of the sea, up close.
The sight of sharks of various sizes swimming calmly and powerfully is overwhelming, allowing visitors to feel the dynamic force of nature.

🌌 The Mysterious Sea Zone — “Jellyfish 365”
The jellyfish exhibit area “Jellyfish 365,” created in the December 2020 renewal, is a fantastical space using light, sound, and scent.
With the theme of the changing seasons, images depicting cherry blossoms in spring, fireworks in summer, autumn leaves in fall, and the aurora and snowflakes in winter are projected, allowing visitors to experience the life of jellyfish and the changing seasons.
In the tanks, moon jellyfish drift gently, while seasonal scents—cherry blossom, fresh greenery, autumn leaves, and snow—create a soothing atmosphere that changes with each visit.

🪸 Glittering Reef Fish
In spring 2025, the tank “Glittering Reef Fish,” where colorful small fish swim in schools, was updated.
New water flow pumps and artificial rocks and corals recreate natural currents, allowing visitors to observe the fish moving even more vividly.
Also joining the collection is the Napoleon wrasse, known as the “Napoleonfish,” offering the chance to see its growth process up close.

🐬 Dolphin and Sea Lion Ocean Live
The signature program of Aqua World is the “Dolphin and Sea Lion Ocean Live.”
Set in the open Ocean Stadium with the sea of Oarai as a backdrop, visitors can enjoy dynamic dolphin jumps and humorous sea lion performances.
It is an extremely popular program that moves not only families but adults as well.

🌅 Outdoor Area “Ocean Terrace”
The “Ocean Terrace,” which reopened in March 2023, is an open and refreshing outdoor area.
Here, visitors can closely observe Humboldt penguins, California sea lions, and South American fur seals moving freely.
During the popular “Sea Lion Walk Time,” sea lions stroll through the viewing area while performing.
At the “Mogu Mogu Time,” visitors can learn about the animals’ ecology while watching them eat.

🌃 Night Aquarium “NIGHT AQUAWORLD”
The special night-only exhibit “NIGHT AQUAWORLD” opens up a mysterious underwater world different from the daytime one, under lighting inspired by moonlight.
The shadows of sharks and the scene created by the schools of sardines, like a “night Milky Way,” are fantastical and captivating.
In the “Ocean Night Live ~MEETS the BEATS~,” dolphins and sea lions perform together to music and visuals.
With the audience’s clapping, visitors can experience a special moment where light, sound, and living creatures come together as one.

🦈 The Meaning Behind the Symbol Mark
The symbol mark of Aqua World Ibaraki Oarai Aquarium is based on a shark motif.
The three rings symbolize “Oarai, Ibaraki, and the seas of the world,” representing the boundary where the Kuroshio and Oyashio currents meet off the coast of Ibaraki.
The dynamism of the shark swimming toward the future represents the energy of each resident of Ibaraki Prefecture and symbolizes “Tomorrow’s Ibaraki.”
This mark has remained unchanged since the aquarium opened in 2002.

Aqua World Ibaraki Oarai Aquarium continues to evolve as one of Japan’s leading aquariums, a “Sanctuary for Sharks” and a “Museum of Life.”
• Japan’s No. 1 in the number of shark species kept
• Seasonal jellyfish exhibit “Jellyfish 365”
• Spectacular giant tank “Sea of Encounter”
• Moving dolphin and sea lion live shows
• Fantastical night aquarium

Each exhibit conveys the mystery of the sea and life through all five senses.