Roadside station Kihocho Umigame-park, Public aquarium and roadside station in Kiho, Japan
Roadside station Kihocho Umigame-park is a roadside rest area on National Route 42 in Ida, Kiho, Mie Prefecture. It combines a parking area and restrooms with a sea turtle aquarium, a sea turtle rearing hall, a sea turtle museum with an antenna shop, a dog run, and a product hall whose third-floor observation terrace overlooks the area.
The station opened in 1993 as part of Japan's nationwide network of roadside rest areas designed to support travelers and local communities. This type of combined facility reflects a broader initiative to make long journeys more convenient.
The name Umigame means sea turtle, and the mascot appears on the restaurant's turtle-shaped curry. Since 2021 the park has kept a African spurred tortoise transferred free of charge from Shima Marine Land, which closed that year. Keepers' videos with the turtles are posted on the park's official Twitter and YouTube accounts.
The station is open daily from 8:30 AM to 7:00 PM with free parking, restrooms, and areas for shopping local products. Visitors can easily access the facility and find all necessary amenities for a brief stop.
As of 2026, this is the only roadside station in Japan that rescues and keeps sea turtles, with an attached aquarium. In 2021 it took in a African spurred tortoise from Shima Marine Land, which closed that year. Videos of the turtles and their keepers on the station's official Twitter and YouTube have drawn attention online.
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