Okhotsk Tokkari Center – Seal Land () is a seal rescue center and sanctuary located in Monbetsu, Hokkaido, Japan. It is currently the only dedicated marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation facility in Japan, with a focus on caring for seals native to the Sea of Okhotsk.
Overview
The name "Tokkari" is derived from the Ainu word for seal, tukar. As of 2022, Okhotsk Tokkari Center is managed and operated by Garinko Tower Co., Ltd. (オホーツク・ガリンコタワー株式会社). The park is funded through a combination of ticket sales, crowdfunding, merchandise sales, and hometown tax credits.
History
Okhotsk Tokkari Center was established in 1987, when four seals were taken in for protection. The facility has since grown to house more than 20 seals.
Facilities
The center comprises two main visitor areas: Azarashi Land (アザラシランド) and Azarashi Sea Paradise (アザラシシーパラダイス). It is located within Monbetsu Marine Park (海洋公園), at the address 2 Kaiyokoen, Monbetsu.
Animal care
Each morning, staff review the previous day's records before beginning cleaning of the indoor and outdoor pools. Each seal's droppings are checked during cleaning as part of routine health monitoring. Seals are weighed twice a month, with food and medication amounts calculated based on body weight.
All resident seals are fed and trained individually at least three times a day. Food intake is logged in increments of 10 grams per individual. The primary food is Atka mackerel (ホッケ), supplemented with other fresh seasonal fish.
Feeding times
Feeding is typically held five times daily. During the spring breeding season (March–April), sessions are reduced to three times daily.
Animals
The facility cares exclusively for seals. The majority are spotted seals (Phoca largha) and ringed seals (Pusa hispida). In addition to its resident population, Tokkari Center rescues and rehabilitates wild seals; once treatment is complete, they are released off the coast of Monbetsu.
Resident seals
All information sourced from the official seal profiles.
Name Japanese Species Sex Age Notes Biku ビク Spotted seal Female 37 Rescued at approximately three weeks old inside Monbetsu Harbor. Her name derives from the Japanese onomatopoeia bikubiku (ビクビク), meaning "timid" or "flinchy." Kite キテ Rescued at approximately two weeks old inside Monbetsu Harbor. When rescued, her flippers were painted yellow to distinguish her, giving rise to her name (黄手, kite, meaning "yellow hand"). Agu アグ Male Rescued by a fisherman in Saruru, a town neighboring Monbetsu. Hanajiro ハナジロ Female Mother of Shinobu and Kazuki. Komuke コムケ 36 Rescued from Lake Komuke, south of Monbetsu. Daikichimaru 大吉丸 Male 35 Named after the fishing vessel Daikichimaru whose crew rescued him. Takuma タクマ Rescued off the coast of Monbetsu. Named after the fisherman who rescued him. Hanako ハナコ Female 34 Named after the wife of the person who rescued her. Naomi ナオミ 33 Named after the granddaughter of the fisherman who rescued her. Hiro ヒロ 34 Kenji ケンジ Male 32 Magao マガオ 31 Named for his perpetually serious expression (真顔, magao, meaning "straight face") Kazuki カズキ 30 Born 29 March 1995. Son of Hanajiro and Gugu. Meme めめ Female 15 Rescued from a beach in Oumu after being attacked by birds. She does not have her right eye. Kai 海 Male 13 Son of Kazuki and Komuke. Yo よう Ringed seal Female 14 She was rescued in Rausu-cho. Katsunori かつのり Male Rescued by a fisherman from rocks inside Monbetsu Harbor, who also gave him his name. During breeding season, he emits a gasoline-like scent, characteristic of male ringed seals during this time. Kyoro キョロ Spotted seal Female 12 Resident of Azarashi Sea Paradise. Rescued from Lake Notoro in Abashiri. Her name derives from kyorokyoro (キョロキョロ), meaning to look around restlessly, reflecting her large, darting eyes. Hiyori 日和 11 Resident of Azarashi Sea Paradise. Rescued inside Monbetsu Harbor on a clear, fine day; her name means "fine weather." Harumi はるみ 10 Rescued from a beach in Monbetsu. Risa りさ Rescued from a breakwater in front of the Okhotsk Tower. Gariko がり子 9 Rescued in Esashi-cho in very thin condition, but now fully rounded out. She was named after the icebreaking vessel Garinko-go II. Mina みな 7 Rescued from a beach in Oumu with injuries to both eyes. She is blind and understands the staff via vocal cues. Yuuta ゆうた Male 6 Rescued in Oumu. He acts as a "big-brother" figure to Neruo, as they were rescued in the same year. Neruo ねるお Spotted seal Rescued from Omusaro beach. Sol ソル 2 Rescued from Lake Saroma. Mashiro ましろ Ringed seal 1 Rescued in Oumu-cho, found on snow-covered ground. pukumaru ぷくまる 2 the only ribbon seal in there https://pinnipedia.miraheze.org/wiki/Pukumaru Tsuki 月 Female 1 Born 21 March 2025. Daughter of Katsunori and Yo.
References
Sources
External links Official website Okhotsk Tokkari Center – Hokkaido Tourism Organization "Hokkaido: A Seal Protection Facility" – Mou Ichido, Nihon, NHK (2023) (in Japanese)