Wakkanai Noshappu Aquarium, Public aquarium in Wakkanai, Japan

Wakkanai Noshappu Aquarium is a public aquarium in Wakkanai, Hokkaido, displaying about 120 species and 1,300 specimens of northern and cold-water marine life. Its 80-ton circulating tank holds ito, soi, karei, hokke and okami-uo, and the collection also includes spotted seals, Humboldt penguins, herring, sea urchins, octopus, clione and electric eels.

The aquarium opened in 1968 to mark Hokkaido's centennial and the 90th anniversary of Wakkanai's founding. It was built alongside the Wakkanai Youth Science Museum, and both are Japan's northernmost facilities of their kind. From 1978 to 2001 it was the only aquarium in Japan to keep a chinstrap penguin.

The aquarium's name comes from Cape Noshappu, the promontory where it stands; its Japanese name, Noshappu Karyū Suizokukan, means "Noshappu cold-current aquarium." The adjacent youth science museum displays material on the Antarctic survey teams that trained in Wakkanai. From 1978 to 2001 it was the only place in Japan keeping the Magellanic penguin.

The aquarium closes from 1 to 28 April and from 1 December to 31 January. Summer hours run 9:00 to 17:00 (last entry 16:40); in the winter periods it opens 10:00 to 16:00, and darkness falls soon after 15:00. Soyabus buses run from Wakkanai Station bus terminal toward Noshappu, and there is parking for 40 cars.

The facility runs special breeding programs for the Itou fish, a rare species that appears on Japan's list of endangered animals. Visitors can learn about conservation efforts for threatened species through observing these breeding projects.