Travel Guide
Salmon Hometown Chitose Aquarium is located on the Chitose River in Hokkaid. This river originates from the beautiful waters of Lake Shikotsu in central Hokkaido then joins Hokkaido's largest river the Ishikari, which in turn flows into the Sea of Japan.
Inside you can find massive 266 ton 5m by 12m tanks and around 60 smaller tanks housing salmon and a variety of northern fish. The tank is one of the country's largest freshwater tanks. There is an education room featuring large screened monitors at explain the wondrous ecology of Salmon. At the Water Observatory, you can watch the underwater of the Chitose River directly, and observe the creatures in the Chitose River during the four seasons. Among them, you can see the salmon swimming downstream in spring, the Japanese dace laying eggs in summer, the salmon returning in autumn and laying eggs in winter – there’s a new show every season!
Another attraction worth mentioning is the "Indian Water Wheel". Installed for the months of August to December (Japan's fall) when the salmon are returning to spawn, the Indian Water Wheel is used to collect Salmon. Later, the salmon are artificially spawned, and the fry reared at a hatchery. They are then released back into the wild the following year where they head out to sea. You are welcome to come down and see the water wheel at any time but for best viewing please come in the fall when the Salmon are returning.
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| Inside the museum | Indian Water Wheel | Red salmon |
Travel Advice
Sightseeing
- Only during the salmon return season will the waterwheel be set up; it will be set up in the middle of July every year, and salmon will be caught from August 20 until December 10-20. Free to visit.
Events
| Events in 2020 | ||
| Juvenile salmon release | Any one can join to release the juvenile salmon into the Chitose River. Juvenile salmon will return to their spawning grounds about four years later. It's fun to image their journeys while releasing the juvenile salmon. | Mar 1(Wed) to May 31(Wed) |
Facilities
- Free rental for wheelchairs are provided.
Visit
| Address | Salmon Park Chitose, 312 Hanazono 2-chome, Chitose-shi, Hokkaido | |
| Phone | 0123-42-3001 | |
| Admission | Adult: 800 yen (Groups 640 yen) Student: 500 yen (Groups 400 yen) Child: 300 yen (Groups 200 yen) |
Adult: over 22 Student: 15 to 21 Child: 6 to 14 Groups: over 20 |
| Hours | 09:00 to 17:00 | Entry until 20 minntes before closing |
| Closed | December 29 to January 1 | |
| Duration | 40 minutes | |
| Getting There | By Train 10 minute walk from JR Chitose Station. By Car Take Hokkaido Expressway to Chitose exit. It is approximately 5 kilometers 10 minutes from exit. |
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| Parking | Paid parking available | |
Attractions in Japan