Muroran – Aquarium, Port City History and Coastline

Muroran offers several distinct points of interest for planning a trip: a long-established aquarium, reminders of its port city history, a designated coastal landscape and walks with historical connections. If you’re looking for a hotel in Muroran, your interests can help you plan your stay. Are you most interested in the aquarium’s history, a historic building, the coast or a route that reveals the character of the port city on foot? These themes help make your choices more specific.

Aquarium and Port City History

Muroran Minpō Minna no Aquarium opened in June 1953 as Hokkaido’s first aquarium and is the oldest aquarium in Hokkaido. Its history is therefore clearly rooted in time, while its standing within Hokkaido is another notable feature. According to municipal information updated in May 2024, the aquarium had about 120 species and 3,300 specimens. These included rare tropical fish from the area around Muroran, Hokkaido and mainland Japan. The figures are approximate and reflect the information available at the time of the update. For trip planning, this brings together the history of the institution and a wide-ranging collection.

Another historical point of interest is the former Muroran Station building. Built in 1912, it is part of Japan’s “Coal, Iron and Port” Heritage. Its construction predates the aquarium’s opening in 1953. The two subjects also differ in nature: one concerns a building and its year of construction, the other an institution, its opening and its collection. If you’re more interested in architectural history than a collection, the station building offers a distinct Muroran focus.

Bridge Construction and a Former Culinary Offering

The “Mitala Muroran” roadside station adds materials about the construction of the Hakucho Bridge to these themes. Valuable materials on the subject are exhibited on the second floor, and there is also a children’s play area. The exhibition and play area offer different points of interest within the same station. Alongside the historic station building, this provides another connection to construction history: the creation of the Hakucho Bridge, represented by the materials on display.

In April 2019, a restaurant and café serving Muroran yakitori opened at the roadside station. Uzuran soft serve, described as available only here, was also sold there.

Coast and Walking Routes

The outer coast of the Etomo Peninsula, “Pirika Noka,” was designated a national scenic site on January 24, 2012. Unlike the aquarium and station building, the focus here is the coast itself, rather than a collection or a building. For travelers interested in scenery, it offers a distinct focus alongside Muroran’s architectural and urban history.

The Minato-machi walking path has three routes where you can experience the port city’s historic character on foot. This makes it different from Pirika Noka’s designation as a scenic site: the walking path connects the port city’s historic character with several routes. For planning your trip, this offers a clear contrast between coastal scenery and the port city’s history explored on foot.

Discover more destinations: Makkari, Otaru, Kitahiroshima, Nayoro, Obihiro, Mombetsu, Iwamizawa, Yūbari

For the broader travel overview: Hokkaido.