Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium hosts Hoya Boya on 5 December
Published on 11/14/2026 at 15:54 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSHoya Boya event and aquarium setting
- The Hoya Boya stage caravan takes place at the aquarium on 5 and 6 December 2026.
- The programme connects Kesennuma and Okinawa through shark-themed displays and a character stage.
- The aquarium presents coral reefs, the Kuroshio Sea tank and deep-sea life across four levels.
- Motobu is the aquarium's location in Okinawa, Japan.
Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium hosts the Hoya Boya stage caravan on 5 and 6 December 2026 in Motobu, Japan. The aquarium is also known locally as Churaumi Suizokukan, and the programme links Okinawa with Kesennuma through marine education and cultural exchange.
Hoya Boya stage caravan comes to Motobu in December
The event is jointly organised by the Okinawa Churashima Foundation and Kesennuma City, with the Kesennuma Shark Museum also involved. The foundation manages and operates the aquarium, while the official announcement describes the programme as part of an ongoing cooperation between the three organisations.
The Hoya Boya stage is scheduled for the aquarium's fourth-floor Uminchu Gate. Visitors can expect explanations about animals connected with Hoya Boya, a dance performance, a rock-paper-scissors contest and a photo opportunity with the character. The programme is presented on both 5 and 6 December 2026. A separate video screening and panel display at the fourth-floor event hall will introduce Kesennuma, the partnership and sharks as a shared theme. event details from the aquarium state that visitors will also receive an Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium trading card while supplies last.
Marine displays give the event its aquarium context
The event's shark focus connects with the aquarium's wider presentation of marine life. Its area guide begins with the naturally lit Coral Sea tank, which displays a broad selection of coral reef life. The route then continues to the Kuroshio Sea tank, described by the operator as an enormous display containing whale sharks and manta rays.
Further levels present migratory fish and the deep sea around Okinawa. The building is arranged from the fourth floor down to the first, with the fourth floor introducing encounters and discoveries, the third focusing on coral reefs, the second on the Kuroshio, and the first on deep-sea life. This layout places the Hoya Boya displays in the same building as the shark and ocean habitats that frame the December programme. The operator's aquarium guide also describes conservation and captive-breeding research carried out at the site.
Kesennuma and Okinawa meet through shark education
The partnership behind the event dates from a three-way cooperation agreement concluded in March 2024. The participating organisations have worked on shark research, recovery support and educational activities, including cooperation connected with the Kesennuma Shark Museum. The December programme gives that relationship a public setting inside the aquarium.
Hoya Boya is Kesennuma's tourism character and is based on the sea squirt, a marine animal associated with the city's coastal identity. The event therefore combines a local character appearance with displays about sharks and the links between two communities shaped by the sea.
Visiting Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The Hoya Boya stage caravan takes place on 5 and 6 December 2026 at the fourth-floor Uminchu Gate and event hall.
- The public programme includes a stage appearance, marine-life explanations, a dance performance, a contest, photography and shark-themed panels.
- The aquarium is in Motobu, Okinawa, Japan, and its displays extend across four levels from the fourth floor to the first.
- Japan's official language is Japanese and its national currency is the yen.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium
When does the Hoya Boya stage caravan take place at Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium?
It takes place on 5 and 6 December 2026. The stage and displays are in the fourth-floor Uminchu Gate and event hall.
What is Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium?
It is a marine-life aquarium in Motobu, Okinawa, with Coral Sea, Kuroshio Sea and deep-sea displays arranged across four levels.
Where is Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium and how do you get there?
It is in Motobu, Okinawa, Japan. The event announcement identifies the venue as the aquarium and gives the fourth-floor Uminchu Gate and event hall as the locations.
