Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Japan Muroto Muroto Schoolhouse Aquarium
AO Edited

Muroto Schoolhouse Aquarium

Sharks, stingrays, and turtles swim in the pools at this former elementary school.

Muroto, Japan

Added By
Fred Cherrygarden
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Not a regular school pool…   Totti
Looking just like an ordinary school building on the outside.   Totti
Helicolenus hilgendorfii.   Totti
Takifugu snyderi.   Totti
Hammerhead sharks and sea turtles in a school pool.   Totti
A hand-washing sink converted into a touch pool.   Totti
A gym vaulting box converted into a fish tank.   Totti
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Swimming is a compulsory subject in Japan’s education systems, so nearly all elementary schools come equipped with short-course swimming pools. While many children fantasize about sharks swimming in their pools, the closest they get are dragonfly nymphs and occasional tadpoles growing there in the off-season, when the pools are unused and covered with algae.

To a degree, such juvenile fantasies (or fears) come true at the Muroto Schoolhouse Aquarium, which is housed in the converted building of an elementary school that went defunct in 2006. In its outside swimming pools you can find a variety of creatures such as sea turtles, hammerhead sharks, stingrays, mackerels, and mahi-mahi, collected straight from the local fishing ports. You're not actually allowed to swim with sharks, but it's a fascinating sight nonetheless that can't be found elsewhere.

The aquarium was founded in 2018 by the Sea Turtle Council of Japan, which initially meant to use the disused schoolhouse to store its collection of zoological specimens. Hoping to make use of abandoned facilities, the mayor of Muroto propelled the council to open an aquarium that focuses on the local ecosystem.

One of the most unique aspects of the Muroto Schoolhouse Aquarium is that its exhibits are strictly seasonal, as the pools draw their water from the sea right in front of the aquarium and keep it at its natural temperature. As such, new fishes—referred to as "transfer students" by the staff—are brought in every season, replacing older ones. Most of them are either donated by local fishermen or caught by the council staff themselves.

In addition to the swimming pool exhibits, the aquarium has hand-washing sinks converted into touch pools allowing visitors to pet spiny lobsters, sea cucumbers and shellfish, and gym vaulting boxes converted into fish tanks displaying moray eels, the striped catfish, and more. On the floor above, there are numerous taxidermied sea creatures, the skeleton of a minke whale, and preserved specimens in formalin solution stored in Tupperware.

The aquarium also makes good use of its former setting, offering the visitors a slice of childhood nostalgia. Next to the second-floor exhibit is a break room full of disused school supplies, from the sitting height stadiometer to the big set square. It's a popular attraction among visitors from outside Japan, who are familiar with the typical Japanese classroom from popular culture but have never seen one in person.

The uniqueness of the Muroto Schoolhouse Aquarium has garnered a great deal of praise and its popularity has been growing ever since it opened, attracting over a hundred thousand visitors in its first half-year (or semester, if you will). Although its location is somewhat remote, you are guaranteed to have a fun open-house day at this school of fish.

Related Tags

Pools Fish Water Aquariums

Know Before You Go

The aquarium is open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (October-March), or to 6 p.m. (April-September). Admission fee is 600 yen for adults and 300 yen for children.

You can take the bus from Nahari Station via Muroto Global Geopark Center bus stop; the whole trip will take about 70 minutes.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Hidden Japan: Sado Island, Nara & Kyoto

Explore a different side of Japan.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

Fred Cherrygarden

Edited By

Osage

  • Osage

Published

April 12, 2022

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Muroto Schoolhouse Aquarium
Muroto, 781-7101
Japan
33.325725, 134.195146
Visit Website

Nearby Places

Monet's Garden Marmottan

Kitagawa, Japan

miles away

Ioki Cave

Aki, Japan

miles away

Yuzuan Restaurant

Nankoku, Japan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Japan

Japan

Asia

Places 786
Stories 111

Nearby Places

Monet's Garden Marmottan

Kitagawa, Japan

miles away

Ioki Cave

Aki, Japan

miles away

Yuzuan Restaurant

Nankoku, Japan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Japan

Japan

Asia

Places 786
Stories 111

Related Places

  • Visitors at the Kuroshio Sea main tank

    Motobu, Japan

    Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium

    One of the world's largest tanks mimics the experience of watching rare whale sharks, giant rays, and deep sea creatures from the ocean floor.

  • Lotus blossoms.

    Washington, D.C.

    Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

    A lovely aquatic park built by a one-armed Civil War veteran who made a fortune from lotuses.

  • An overhead view of the aquarium.

    Okinawa, Japan

    Aeon Mall Okinawa Rycom Aquarium

    Located in the large-scale shopping mall is an otherwise unassuming aquarium featuring species native to Okinawa waters.

  • Sunset over the reach, with wasteway in foreground.

    Helen, Washington

    Hanford Reach National Monument

    The only undammed section of the Columbia River in the United States has been preserved, ironically, by its proximity to the Hanford Nuclear Reservation.

  • Bonneville Dam

    North Bonneville, Washington

    Bonneville Lock & Dam

    Boats and fish both find their way through this massive hydroelectric structure.

  • These Arapaimas are over 6 feet long

    Zaragoza, Spain

    Zaragoza River Aquarium

    Europe's largest river aquarium features freshwater species from around the world.

  • Decked out in tails made in Ducharme’s shop, the mermaids perform underwater acrobatics for visitors.

    Lecanto, Florida

    Mertailor's Mermaid Aquarium Encounter

    What started as a tailor shop to help swimmers live their mermaid dreams has grown into a full-scale aquarium, complete with live mermaid shows.

  • An unusually large Roman Bath with a curved side.

    Sliema, Malta

    Roman Baths of Sliema

    Despite the name, these small saltwater swimming pools have nothing to do with the Romans.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.