| Dates | 1st weekend of September |
| Contact | phone 0134-26-6160 mobile 080-4505-2424 |
| Notes | Free parking available (from 5pm) Fire works start around 7pm Food, live music, & taiko drums |
| Location / Getting There | Access by bus, take the train to Otaru station, then take the Otaru Aquarium bus. A taxi will cost around ￥3000 from Otaru station |
Otaru has many festivals over the year, and the Otaru Shukutsu Festival is one of the last festivals to see fireworks for the summer. The festival starts off at 5pm and attracts many of the locals and there is a lot to see.There is a “mikoshi” (portable shrine), taiko drum performance, live music, plus there are plenty of food stalls and of course, the fireworks which start at 7pm! All of this takes place below a meiji period house/museum, the ‘Otaru Nishin Goten’, which makes a fantastic backdrop for this festival!
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At the start of the festival a portable shrine (mikoshi) is carried in by a large group of participants. These group of shrine bearers get together every year, and are from Sapporo and a few outlying towns. Chanting and singing to the rhythm the shrine is slowly brought into the festival. Once the shrine is in the festival it is placed in front of a dozen Taiko performers hitting the drums in time with the chanting. The drums with the shrine gives this festival a great Japanese atmosphere!
Fireworks over Otaru Nishin Goten
There are many food stalls, and as Shukutsu is a local fishing town there is a lot of grilled seafood to treat your taste buds! Shellfish, sea snails, squid, octopus, and fish are all on the menu. After an evening meal you can settle in and await the fireworks. Many people set up early for a good viewing spot for the fireworks but there is plenty of space! The Shukutsu fireworks are set off along the stone beach along the harbor, just below the Otaru Nishin Goten and lighthouse. At 7:00pm the fireworks begin and light up the sky so make sure you’re there before then! Enjoy!
| Admission | Children ¥200 Junior & High school students ¥500 Adults ¥1400 |
| Opening Hours | Monday – Saturday 9:00 – 17:00 |
| Closed | Sundays |
| Contact | 0134-33-1400 |
| Notes | Foreign Language Ability: Limited |
| Location / Getting There | 3 Chome-303 Shukutsu, Otaru, Hokkaido Prefecture 047-0047, Japan Take a train from Sapporo station to Otaru station. 40 min. Bus to the aquarium. 20 min |
Otaru is a harbor town 1 hour west of Sapporo by train. Otaru is famous for its seafood, glassblowing, and its canal. Its also home to the largest aquarium in Hokkaido. Some aspects and parts of this aquarium are outdated but there are also some parts which are unique. Originally built in 1959, the aquarium is home to 5,000 sea creatures of 250 different species. The primary focus is on fish that live in Hokkaido and the polar regions. Visitors can also see the only harbour porpoises in Japan.
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One of the large tanks with an array of sea life.
Throughout the day there is a line up of shows for the tourists. They involve the penguin walk, the dolphin show, the sea lion show, seal show, and the walrus feeding. These events are arranged over the whole aquarium. They are on one after the after leaving very little time to get to each one, so a little hustle is needed. If you do miss a show they are on 3 times a day. The penguin walk, and walrus feeding are interesting and a great opportunity to see these animals. The sea lion, dolphin, and seal shows are out of date compared with more modern aquariums and hopefully these will be modified in the future. All shows are in Japanese. 
The Penguin Walk
A great opportunity to get up close to a flock of penguins as they make their daily walk down for their ocean swim.
Walrus Feeding
A chance to see these enormous animals up close and personal. After the feeding takes place the walruses will come down to the front glass in the water for some great photo opportunities.
Dolphin Show
An opportunity to watch the dolphins with their trainers, jumping and performing for the crowd. There is also a large viewing window beneath the water.
Sea Lion & Seal Shows
These separate shows are similar in structure. The animals will jump and dive for an audience. The show also acts as the feeding time for these animals.
How to get there :
If you don’t have access to your own transport it is quite easy to take public transport to the aquarium. Take the train to Otaru station from Sapporo station (this takes about 40 minutes). Otaru station is the last station on the coastal line so its not hard to miss. After that, the bus will take you straight to the aquarium, which is also the last stop (this takes about 20 minutes). The staff at the information booth at the station are extremely helpful and will be more than happy to tell you which bus to take. They speak great English and there are timetables available.
