History of Marimo Exhibition Center

Title

The Marimo Exhibition Center is located on Churui Island.
The facility was constructed to observe the Marimo in the environment as natural as possible.
The history of using the Marimo in Lake Akan for tourism is long.
Pleasure boats started to enter into the Marimo habitat in 1927 (photo ①).

The observation of the Marimo later became difficult because of water pollution.
In addition, recognition that entrance of the boats has had some bad influences on growth of Marimo got to be shared.
As an answer, the entrance of the pleasure boat to the Marimo habitat was regulated voluntarily; instead, ponds for observing the Marimo were set up on Churui Island in 1961 (photos ② to ⑤).

The Marimo Exhibition Center as of now was fully renovated in 1996, after constructed in 1978 (photo ⑥,⑦).
Maximum number of visitors stood at about 700,000 in 1991 (photo ⑧).

: Photograph①
Tourists observing the Marimo from a pleasure boat around 1955. (This activity is not allowed today.)
: Photograph②
Marimo observation tanks placed on Churui Island (1965)
: Photograph③
A Marimo observation pond placed on Churui Island (1973)
: Photograph④
A renovated Marimo observation pond (1977)
: Photograph⑤
Tourist guide training at Churui Island for working on pleasure boats (around 1980s)
: Photograph⑥
The Marimo Exhibition Center newly built on 1978.
: Photograph⑦
The interior of the Marimo Exhibition Center (1978)
: Photograph⑧
The large exhibition aquarium for Marimo in the Marimo Exhibition Center after the full renovation in 1996.