Muroto Schoolhouse Aquarium

This aquarium, housed in the renovated former Shiina Elementary School, features marine life from the waters around Muroto. Opened in April 2018, Muroto Schoolhouse Aquarium retains the atmosphere of the original school while displaying marine life in an outdoor pool and tanks installed throughout the school building.

Sea turtles, sharks, and fish donated by local fishermen swim in the outdoor 25-meter pool, where visitors can observe them up close. The pool once used by students has been repurposed as a large aquarium tank, allowing visitors to see Muroto’s marine life while experiencing traces of the building’s past as an elementary school.

The sinks remaining in the hallway now serve as touch pools, where visitors can touch shrimp. The science room displays fish bones, fluid-preserved specimens, and other exhibits, offering an opportunity to learn about marine life through the school’s original facilities. The aquarium also houses and displays materials related to fishing, along with household and fishing implements donated by local residents, providing insight into the relationship between Muroto’s ocean and the lives of the local community. The aquarium is “in session” every day of the year and welcomes visitors year-round.