On July 20, 2023, the urban aquarium AOAO SAPPORO opened inside Sapporo's new complex, moyuk SAPPORO. Here's an introduction to its exciting exhibits, opening hours, and ticket prices.

AOAO SAPPORO is an urban aquarium that opened on Thursday, July 20, 2023. It is located on the 4th to 6th floors of the moyuk SAPPORO complex, situated at the entrance of the Tanukikoji Shopping Arcade in central Sapporo.

Inside AOAO SAPPORO

The theme of the exhibition, which features 4,000 organisms of 250 species (including plants), is "Wonder of Life: Seeing the Unseen." As a gateway to nature in the middle of the city, it allows visitors to experience the wonder of aquatic life and the great outdoors.

Furthermore, starting from Friday, September 29, new programs will be launched to make the aquarium even more enjoyable, including a night-only free pass called the "Yonayona Pass," new drink menus, and yoga experiences.

The exhibition is composed of three zones. In addition to showcasing creatures like penguins, it offers a multifaceted experience related to the "relationship between people and water," including a look at the aquarium's backstage operations, digital art that creates an immersive feeling of being in the vast ocean, and a mini botanical garden lush with tropical greenery.

AOAO SAPPORO Floor Map

The 4th floor is an exhibition zone that takes you behind the scenes of the aquarium. Here, you can see up close the process of making seawater and how the health of the exhibited creatures is managed. As an introduction to the exhibits, you can learn about the workings and role of the aquarium, and witness the staff's affection for the animals and their passion for their work.

Seawater is produced in a plant approximately 1.6 meters in diameter and 2.7 meters high

Exhibits include Japanese crayfish and Hokkaido salamanders

The 5th floor is an exhibition zone dedicated to observing the lives of organisms. You can experience discovery and wonder through observation, with features like the beautiful "Nature Aquarium" that recreates ecosystems, and the "Library Aquarium" which you can savor like turning the pages of a book.

In the "Nature Aquarium," you can observe the lives of small creatures in their natural state amidst beautiful underwater landscapes lush with aquatic plants. In a Japanese-style space surrounded by four waterscapes, you can feel the importance of nature and observe the ecosystem of a "living aquarium" up close.

The "Nature Aquarium" is the third permanent exhibition of its kind in the world

In the "LIBRARY AQUARIUM / Room of Observation and Discovery," you can enjoy a library-like exhibit that focuses on the characteristics and charm of living creatures. The centerpiece is a restored skeleton of the world's oldest large sea cow, the "Sapporo Sea Cow." A skeleton measuring approximately 7 meters in length is on display, belonging to a Sapporo Sea Cow that is said to have lived about 8.2 million years ago when Sapporo was under the sea.

The specimen is on loan in cooperation with the Sapporo Museum Activity Center

Furthermore, 43 tanks of various sizes are lined up with observation points written on them, allowing you to gain knowledge about the creatures and their habitats. There are also books related to the exhibited creatures, so you can delve deeper into the ecology of any organism that piques your interest.

A lineup of tanks of various sizes

The popular spotted garden eels also make an appearance

The 6th floor is an exhibition zone where you can spend your time as you please in the same space as creatures like penguins. It features a digital art sea and a mini botanical garden lush with greenery. You can also enjoy croissants, beer, and cocktails at the adjacent "Pan-Bal" (bakery bar).

The main attraction, the penguin exhibit, is located on this 6th floor. The rockhopper penguins are characterized by the yellow feathers above their eyes that look like eyebrows, and they move by hopping with both feet together. The exhibit is designed to showcase this hopping behavior, allowing visitors to observe the penguins in action.

Observe the penguins' active behavior up close

The land area of the penguin tank is designed with a combination of hexagonal blocks. This is a world-first mechanism that allows the shape of the land to be easily changed by altering the number and combination of blocks, thus creating environmental changes for the penguins.

An exhibit that showcases the penguins' natural behavior

In the "Plankton Room," you can observe plankton drifting in the water. Creatures like moon jellyfish float gracefully in 16 tanks of various sizes.

The fantastical atmosphere of the "Plankton Room"

The "Blue Room" is an exhibit where a vast ocean world is expressed through digital art. A story featuring realistic sea creatures is projected onto a large screen approximately 20 meters wide, creating an immersive experience as if you were in the ocean.

The projection also covers the approximately 120-square-meter floor, making it a powerful experience

The "Green Room" is an exhibit where plants native to tropical regions thrive. In this botanical garden-like space, more than 20 species of plants, including Ficus trees over 2 meters tall, flourish, allowing you to feel the life energy unique to the tropics.

The "Green Room" is dotted with benches for relaxation

The Green Room features the "Fairy Penguin," the smallest of the 18 penguin species in the world. You can observe the penguins' behavior in a relaxed atmosphere.

This is the first permanent exhibit of Fairy Penguins in Hokkaido

AOAO SAPPORO also features the "Shirokuma Bakery &," a bakery bar where you can enjoy bread and alcoholic beverages, and a "Museum Shop" that sells original merchandise.

Opening on the 6th floor as a "Pan-Bal" (bakery bar), "Shirokuma Bakery &" offers croissants made with Hokkaido wheat and a bar menu including beer and cocktails, which can be enjoyed from day to night. Food and drinks are allowed on all floors of the aquarium, so you can walk around with a pastry or drink in hand and watch your favorite tank.

＜"Shirokuma Bakery &" Menu＞

■Croissants
Enjoy 12 types of croissants made with Hokkaido wheat.

・Plain Croissant: 290 yen
・Anko (red bean paste) & Butter: 420 yen
・Domestic Aonori Seaweed & Fried Atka Mackerel Sandwich: 680 yen
・Chocolate Mint: 490 yen, etc.

■Drinks
Enjoy coffee during the day, and cocktails or beer at night, depending on the occasion.

・Various Soft Drinks: 390 yen
・Shirokuma Blend Coffee (hot/ice): 510 yen
・Beer "Sapporo Classic": 550 yen
・Craft Beer "SORACHI 1984": 690 yen
・AOAO Sparkling: 790 yen, etc.

*All prices include tax.
*The menu shown is an example.
*Menu items are subject to change.

Shirokuma Bakery &

Additionally, the "Museum Shop" located at the 4th-floor entrance sells over 800 items. About 70 types of original goods are also available, including plush toys supervised by Deputy Director Yukio Kusuda, who has nearly half a century of experience in penguin keeping. The Museum Shop can be accessed without an admission ticket, so you can easily drop by to see the lineup, which changes with the seasons and events.

Museum Shop

"Museum Shop" Lineup

■Exclusive Plush Toys
These are exclusive plush toys that faithfully reproduce the characteristics and charm of rockhopper and fairy penguins, supervised by Deputy Director Yukio Kusuda.

・Fairy Penguin: 2,480 yen
・Northern Rockhopper Penguin: 2,480 yen, etc.

■Original Goods

・Original Acrylic Keychain: 770 yen
・Original Printed Cookies: 1,380 yen
・Original Penguin Tote Bag: 2,480 yen, etc.

*All prices include tax.

A co-working space is located next to the "Nature Aquarium" on the 5th floor. It is equipped with an internet connection, power outlets, as well as bookshelves and sofas. You can work, of course, or relax with a croissant and coffee purchased from "Shirokuma Bakery &."

The co-working space can be used at no additional charge

Furthermore, a baby room with diaper changing stations, a nursing room, and a kids' space is also available on the 5th floor. Families with infants can enjoy the aquarium with peace of mind.

Three diaper changing stations and two nursing rooms are available

A kids' space for children to play

The opening hours are from 10:00 to 22:00, so you can easily stop by after work or shopping. Admission fees vary depending on the season, with adults (high school students and older) at 2,000 yen / 2,200 yen, children (elementary and junior high school students) at 1,000 yen / 1,100 yen, and toddlers (3 years and older) at 200 yen.

The name "AOAO SAPPORO" comes from the Japanese word "aoao," which describes the lush, vibrant growth of life. It embodies the desire to create a place where people can encounter the rich ecology of marine and aquatic creatures, right inside a building in the city of Sapporo.

AOAO SAPPORO Logo

The urban aquarium "AOAO SAPPORO" is accessible within walking distance from Odori and Susukino subway stations, as well as JR Sapporo Station. The July 20th opening is eagerly awaited.

AOAO SAPPORO

■Address: moyuk SAPPORO 4F-6F, 20, South 2 West 3, Chuo-ku, Sapporo
■Hours: 10:00 - 22:00 (Last admission 21:00) *Hours may vary by season
■Closed: Open year-round *May close temporarily for facility maintenance, etc.
■Admission:
・Adult (High school student & older): 2,200 yen / 2,000 yen
・Child (Elementary & junior high student): 1,100 yen / 1,000 yen
・Toddler (3 years & older): 200 yen
*Admission fees vary by season
■Access: 3-minute walk from Odori Subway Station / 1-minute walk from Tanukikoji Streetcar Station
■Official Teaser Site: https://aoao-sapporo.blue
■Official Instagram Account: @aoao_sapporo

See more details about "AOAO SAPPORO" on Domingo (in Japanese)

moyuk SAPPORO

■Address: 20, South 2 West 3, Chuo-ku, Sapporo

See more details about "moyuk SAPPORO" on Domingo (in Japanese)

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