Notojima Aquarium, on Noto Island (Notojima) in Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture, is an aquarium where you can see everything from the fish of the Noto seas to penguins, sea turtles and dolphins. It lies just across the Notojima Ohashi Bridge from Wakura Onsen, making it an easy stop on a trip around the Noto Peninsula.
In this article, I introduce the highlights inside the aquarium with photos from my visit in September 2024, and summarize admission, opening hours and access based on the official website (checked on October 24, 2026). Notojima Aquarium was damaged in the Noto Peninsula Earthquake in January 2024 and has reopened step by step since then. I also look back on that journey.
- What Is Notojima Aquarium? | An Aquarium on Noto Island
- Reopening After the Earthquake
- Rays and Migratory Fish in the Dark Giant Tank
- Japanese Spider Crabs and Sea Turtles
- An Outdoor Pool Where You Can See Penguins Up Close
- Notojima Aquarium Admission and Opening Hours (Checked on October 24, 2026)
- How to Get to Notojima Aquarium
- More Articles on Noto
- Summary
What Is Notojima Aquarium? | An Aquarium on Noto Island
Notojima Aquarium stands by the sea on Noto Island, which floats in Nanao Bay. The address is 15-40 Magarimachi, Notojima, Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture.
The aquarium is broadly made up of the Whale Shark Hall “World of Blue,” the Main Aquarium Building, “Dolphin Paradise” and the “Marine Nature and Ecology Hall,” along with the dolphin and sea lion pools and the penguin and sea turtle tanks (from the floor map on the official website).
According to the official website, the Whale Shark Hall “World of Blue” has a tank holding 1,600 tons of water and mainly displays whale sharks, which migrate to the seas near Noto, together with fish from southern seas. The “Noto Kaiyu Kairo” in the main building has large acrylic tanks and an observation dome, and also uses projection mapping. It is described as an area where you can feel as if you were walking through the sea.
The Entrance and Exterior of Notojima Aquarium
The entrance of Notojima Aquarium. Beyond a plaza lined with white canopies stands a building with a blue roof, and the sea can be seen behind it (photo taken in September 2024).
White canopies line the entrance plaza, and beyond them is a large building with a blue roof. On the right stands a guide board of the aquarium, where you can check the order in which to look around. Part of a whale shark statue can also be seen in the lower right of the photo.
Reopening After the Earthquake
Notojima Aquarium was damaged in the Noto Peninsula Earthquake on January 1, 2024. According to an announcement by the Ishikawa Prefecture Kenmin Fureai Kosha (the public corporation that runs the aquarium), it partially reopened on July 20, 2024, resumed its suspended dolphin show, and fully reopened on March 22, 2025. At that time, the sea lion house, which had been damaged in the earthquake and rebuilt, was also unveiled.
Two whale sharks died as a result of the earthquake, and the one that came after them also died in January 2026, so for a while there were none in the aquarium. On September 18, 2026, it was reported that the whale shark exhibit had resumed for the first time in about eight months, with a male about 4.5 meters long that had been caught in a set net off the coast of Shika Town in August (Kyodo News, September 18, 2026).
The photos in this article were taken on September 15, 2024, about two months after the partial reopening. Some exhibits are different now, so it is a good idea to check the news on the official website before you go.
Rays and Migratory Fish in the Dark Giant Tank
Once inside, a large tank glows blue in a dimly lit space.
A ray with a long tail swims slowly through the blue light.
In the tank, a large ray trails its long tail as it passes overhead. Near the bottom, you can also spot a small, whitish ray.
A school of yellowtail and related fish swims in the light shining in from the surface.
Where light shines in from the surface, you can look up and watch a school of yellowtail and related fish swimming through the light.
The tank was just huge. And because it is so huge, you get to see views you could not see anywhere else.
Yellowtail Circling the Rocky Tank
Yellowtail swimming against a backdrop of rocks.
In the tank built like a rocky shore, yellowtail pass right in front of you. Through the glass, you can take a close look at the lines along their sides and even the shape of their fins.
The rocky tank. On the left, a rounded glass section juts out into the tank.
On the left, there is a rounded glass section that bulges out into the tank. Among the rocks, many kinds of fish swim, such as sea bream and striped fish.
Japanese Spider Crabs and Sea Turtles
A Japanese spider crab with its long legs spread out. Seen from the front, it is quite impressive.
In a tank with a sandy bottom, a Japanese spider crab sat still with its long legs spread out. Seen from the front, you can really tell how long its legs are.
The main building also has a “Creatures of the Deep Sea” corner. According to the official website, it introduces animals that live deeper than 200 meters in the Sea of Japan, such as northern shrimp (sweet shrimp, or amaebi) and red snow crabs. There is also “Jellyfish Light Art,” which displays jellyfish.
The sea turtle tank. A turtle swims by close enough to see the mottled pattern on its face.
In the sea turtle tank, a large sea turtle swims right up to the glass. It comes close enough that you can see the mottled pattern on its face and even the wrinkles on its shell.
An Outdoor Pool Where You Can See Penguins Up Close
Outside, there are penguin tanks and a pool. The floor map on the official website shows a “Humboldt Penguin Tank” and a “Penguin Pool.”
Just beyond the glass, a penguin pokes its head out of the water.
Because you can look through the glass at water level, you can watch the penguins swim and pop their heads up right in front of you.
Two penguins preening on the rocks. Water falls from above like a shower.
On the rocks, two penguins were preening side by side.
Notojima Aquarium Admission and Opening Hours (Checked on October 24, 2026)
From the “Visitor Information” page of the official website.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Admission (tax included) | General (high school students and older) 1,890 yen, junior high school students and younger (ages 3 and up) 510 yen, under 3 free |
| Groups (20 or more people) | General 1,690 yen, junior high school students and younger 460 yen |
| Annual pass | General 4,190 yen, junior high school students and younger 1,250 yen (valid for one year from the date of issue; also gives entry to the Sea Fishing Center) |
| Opening hours | March 20–November 30: 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30) December 1–March 19: 9:00–16:30 (last entry 16:00) |
| Closed | December 29–31 |
| Payment | In addition to cash, credit cards and e-money are accepted at the ticket counter and elsewhere. E-tickets and advance tickets sold at convenience stores are also available |
| Inquiries | 0767-84-1271 |
Prices, opening hours and show times may change. Please check the official Notojima Aquarium website before you go.
How to Get to Notojima Aquarium
By Car
According to the official website, from the Kanazawa area, take the Noto Satoyama Kaido and the Noetsu Expressway and exit at Wakura IC. From the Toyama and Tokyo areas, exit the Noetsu Expressway at Nanao-Jōyama IC and head toward Wakura Onsen. Either way, it takes about 15 minutes from Wakura Onsen, crossing the Notojima Ohashi Bridge.
The number of parking spaces and parking fees were not listed on the access page of the official website.
By Train and Bus
If you go by train, the nearest station is Wakura Onsen Station on the JR Nanao Line and the Noto Railway. The official website says it takes about one hour from Kanazawa on the limited express “Noto Kagaribi.”
From Wakura Onsen Station, take a Notojima Kotsu route bus to “Notojima Rinkai Kōen.” The fare is 640 yen for adults from Wakura Onsen Station and 780 yen for adults from Nanao Station (as shown on the official access page as of June 3, 2024). Buses do not run often, so please check the times on the access page of the official website before you set out.
More Articles on Noto
If you are traveling around Noto and Ishikawa, these articles may also help.
- How to Get to Soji-ji Soin Temple: Driving Route from Tokyo, Bus Timetable & Fares
- Hanasaku Iroha Pilgrimage: Spots in Yuwaku Onsen and How to Get There (Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture) (Japanese)
Summary
Notojima Aquarium is an aquarium by the sea on Noto Island. It has plenty of highlights, including rays and migratory fish in the dark giant tank, Japanese spider crabs and sea turtles, and penguins you can watch right in front of you.
After the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake, it partially reopened in July 2024, fully reopened in March 2025, and resumed its whale shark exhibit in September 2026. It is about 15 minutes by car from Wakura Onsen, so it is easy to fit into a trip around Noto. Before you go, check the opening hours and show times on the official website.
References (checked on October 24, 2026)
- Notojima Aquarium official website (Japanese)
- Visitor Information | Notojima Aquarium (Japanese)
- Access | Notojima Aquarium (Japanese)
- Floor Map and Facilities | Notojima Aquarium (Japanese)
- On the Ceremony and Events Celebrating the Full Reopening of Notojima Aquarium (Ishikawa Prefecture Kenmin Fureai Kosha, March 17, 2025) (Japanese)
- Whale Shark Exhibit Resumes at Aquarium in Area Hit by Noto Earthquake, Ishikawa (Kumamoto Nichinichi Shimbun / Kyodo News, September 18, 2026) (Japanese)
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