Innovative explanation board

The reason why the aquarium in the northern land is well known nationwide is closely related to the fact that it has been a buzzword on social media many times in the past. This is an explanatory board in the style of a LINE chat screen that became a hot topic in 2016. A shocking fact is revealed from a conversation between a rainbow trout and a yamame trout!

(Photo: Courtesy of the Northern Land Aquarium)

This post received a whopping 28,000 likes on X (formerly Twitter).

Unconventional Q&A

This is a sheet on which museum director Hajime Yamauchi answered questions from visitors.

Yespic.twitter.com/PbaaTBdXDR

— Hajime Yamauchi (@suymuc) December 9, 2021

Yespic.twitter.com/ACxePI3j1Q

— Hajime Yamauchi (@suymuc) October 7, 2020

It has been made into a series and has gone viral more than seven times by my count.

The shocking "director's button"

As the name suggests, when you press it, the museum director, Mr. Yamauchi, who we introduced earlier, will appear on the spot; it is a simple yet extremely talkative button.

We have installed a button in the museum that will call out the director. Please feel free to call him even if you don't have any special needs, such as talking about fish, exhibits, aquariums, hamburgers, etc. Let's talk ٩( ᐛ )و pic.twitter.com/mTy4V2t7aJ

— So Yamauchi (@suymuc) July 6, 2020

The first post received a response of over 20,000 likes, and a subsequent update added a meter showing the possibility of the item appearing. When the product was introduced again, it received even more attention, and was even featured on NHK's live broadcast and prime-time variety shows!

Updated to version 1.1pic.twitter.com/KFDNnhtvMw

— Hajime Yamauchi (@suymuc) January 29, 2022

According to Yamauchi, the buttons were created with the hope of increasing opportunities for interaction with visitors, given that unavoidable business closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have made it difficult to communicate with them effectively.

This series of events has become a hot topic, and I feel that at its root is a love for the fish, the aquarium, the local area, and the visitors! It's no wonder there are so many repeat visitors.

There are also red fox farms and hot springs nearby.

Near the aquarium is the Kita Kitsune Ranch, the only place in Japan where you can see free-roaming red foxes and Hokkaido raccoon dogs, as well as one of the world's largest pigeon clock towers and Onneyu Onsen, which is said to be one of the best hot springs in Japan due to the quality of its spring water.

Foxes living freely

"Kamurin" combines a mechanical doll with one of the world's largest cuckoo clocks

When you visit the aquarium in the northern part of Japan, be sure to enjoy it all along with the surrounding facilities!

<Photo provided by: laufenkatsu>

Aquarium of the Northern Land

■Address: 1-4 Matsuyama, Rubeshibe-cho, Kitami City ■Telephone number: 0157-45-2223 ■Opening hours: April to October 8:30 to 17:00 / November to March 9:00 to 16:30 *Last admission is 20 minutes before closing time ■Closed: April 8th to April 14th / December 26th to January 1st ■Price: Adults 670 yen / Junior high school students 440 yen / Elementary school students 300 yen ■Access: Car - From Asahikawa city, take National Route 39 for about 2 hours and 30 minutes. From JR Rubeshibe Station, take the bus bound for Onneyu Onsen Roadside Station for about 20 minutes, then walk for 2 minutes from the last stop. ■Official website: https://onneyu-aq.com/ ■Official X (formerly Twitter) account: https://twitter.com/onneyu_aqua ■Official Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/onneyuaqua_official