Ōarai Town is located in central Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, in Higashiibaraki District, facing the Pacific Ocean. It is a town with a strong harbor character. Its geographical location places it nearly at the center of Ibaraki’s coastline, making it a key port town that hosts Ōarai Port (administratively part of Ibaraki Port Ōarai Area). A regular ferry service operates between Ōarai and Tomakomai Port in Hokkaido, making it an important maritime transportation hub connecting the Tokyo metropolitan area and Hokkaido.
As one of Ibaraki Prefecture’s most popular tourist destinations, Ōarai attracts approximately 4.4 million visitors annually. It boasts a wide range of attractions, including the large-scale aquarium Aqua World Ōarai (formerly Ōarai Aquarium), the historically and religiously significant Ōarai Isosaki Shrine, and the Ōarai Seaside Station, a complex combining shopping and leisure. In addition, Ōarai is home to the largest seaside beach in the northern Kanto region — Ōarai Sun Beach, which draws many beachgoers in summer.
The town gained additional fame with the 2012 broadcast of the anime series Girls und Panzer, which is set in Ōarai. Following the show’s release, fans began visiting the town for so-called “pilgrimages,” adding another layer to its tourism appeal.
Besides tourism, Ōarai is also active in agriculture and coastal fisheries. Local seafood specialties include anglerfish (ankō), whitebait (shirasu), and clams (hamaguri). In terms of agriculture, the sweet potato variety Beniazuma is well known. These marine and agricultural products, along with their processed goods, are popular local souvenirs. Furthermore, Ōarai and neighboring Tōkai Village host several nuclear-related facilities, which have a certain influence on the local industrial structure.
