Iyoboya Kaikan (Niigata) – Access, Hours & Fees

The Iyoboya Center is a specialty museum located on the banks of the Miomote River in Murakami City, Niigata Prefecture. This ‘salmon world’ is a three-storey museum with one basement floor. The name ‘Iyoboya’ actually means ‘salmon’ in Murakami dialect.

Contents

A museum devoted to salmon
So many souvenirs!
Take a break in ‘Salmon Park’
Getting here
- Access Map
Admission Tickets, Price
Opening Hours & Calendar
Official website
FAQs

A museum devoted to salmon

In this museum, there are ten observation windows installed to allow visitors to view the adjacent tributary to the Miomote River. Through the windows visitors can observe salmon that have swum upstream to spawn, as well as fish such as big-scaled redfin, sweetfish and sticklebacks in their natural surroundings. The ‘Salmon Theater’ shows footage of the Miomote River and its salmon. In it we see how the river changes with the four seasons and hear about the relationship between humans and salon.

There is also a mini hatching site for salmon within the museum. Visitors can read about the salmon business of Miomote river and see for themselves the baby salmon which hatch between October and January each year. There are numerous informative exhibits devoted to salmon fishing, fishing equipment, the artificial hatching business, salmon cooking, and more. The salmon is a familiar fish to many of us but a visit to this impressive museum will have visitors feeling like they know the salmon even better!

So many souvenirs!

The museum shop has an extraordinary array of salmon-themed souvenirs. For example, there are recipe books containing traditional and modern salmon dishes that would be perfect for home chefs. Gourmands will love the ‘salmon sake snacks’. The intense flavor of salted salmon that has been dried for six months is said to be the perfect accompaniment to sake. There are also handmade original items such as salmon-themed phone accessories. Made with heritage fabrics, these are sure to make impressive gifts.

Take a break in ‘Salmon Park’

‘Salmon Park’ is a park within Iyoboya Center that has become a local icon. Relax in the pagoda overlooking the park while listening to the sound of the river (the sound is artificial, however). There is playground equipment and room to run around making it perfect for families.