Trip · May 19, 2026
Umitamago and Hachiman Asami Shrine
A day trip from Beppu to Umitamago Aquarium, followed by Hachiman Asami Shrine, yakiniku and an evening walk by the sea.
Setting Off for the Aquarium
The aquarium is divided into several areas, with different shows at different times.
You can check the schedule here: https://www.umitamago.jp/show_schedule-tc/
The official website explains everything clearly, so I will not repeat every detail.
We originally planned to leave at 8:00 a.m. for the bus, but unfortunately missed it.
We waited at the Beppu Tower-mae stop. Buses with route codes beginning with AS can take you there.
Google Maps said the journey was short, so we did not dare fall asleep and kept watching the stop names.
We finally boarded at 9:00 a.m.
Most passengers on this bus were heading to the zoo or aquarium, so plenty of people got off at the same place.
Most visitors we saw were Japanese.
We arrived at 9:30 a.m. We initially looked for the lift, but it seemed quite far away, so we took the stairs instead. The entrance and ticket office are upstairs.
We missed the large introductory presentation, but still arrived in time for both the walrus and dolphin shows.
Make sure you pick up a leaflet after entering. It contains the map and show schedule, making it much easier to plan your visit.
This was my first time watching a pelican show.
The walrus show followed. I understood none of the language, but the atmosphere was excellent.
Then it was time for the dolphin show.
The dolphins performed backflips.
If you want to sit close to the show, remember to buy a raincoat.
On the ground floor, you can get extremely close to seals, dolphins and penguins.
The penguins were adorable.
If there are many children visiting that day, follow the children’s groups. The aquarium is especially generous with activities for them.
We had a fairly ordinary meal at the cafe, but outside was an uninterrupted sea view with seabirds flying past.
I have not visited a huge number of aquariums, and the fish collection was broadly similar to others.
What made Umitamago special was how close visitors could get to the animals. I had never experienced anything quite like it, and I would recommend a visit.
After eating, we left and crossed the footbridge to catch the bus back to Beppu.
Read the complete Umitamago Aquarium guide
Visiting the Shrine
We got off the bus at Nakayoshi Koen-mae.
There were fire engines nearby, so here are a few photos.
Continue straight until you reach a small river. When you see the torii gate, keep walking towards it.
The entrance appears at the end of the road.
The two trees are more than a century old, and the view through the entrance is magnificent.
Older visitors may need some support on the stairs.
There is a pond filled with koi.
There are many fox statues around the grounds.
On the way uphill, we saw two Russian visitors reaching out to touch the koi.
The main shrine is at the top.
Views looking down from above:
There were many omamori charms.
Smaller shrines:
We followed a different path back towards the bus stop.
Dinner
We had yakiniku for dinner.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/5HmsKhcvSvZgvGBR9
It was similar to yakiniku in Hong Kong.
Apparently, not many guests order the most expensive all-you-can-eat option. The staff checked several times that it was really the set we wanted.
After that, we placed our orders using the tablet.
Drinks cost extra, although water was free. I suspect many customers simply order the meat separately.
The final bill was a little over HKD 200 per person.
Evening
After dinner, we walked through the seaside park and along the beach. The sea breeze was comfortable.
Unfortunately, there were mosquitoes on the beach. There was also a public toilet nearby.
After walking for a while, we returned to the hotel to rest.