[6] The aquarium was established as a venue for the 1913 Eight Prefectures Exhibition in what was then Uozu town of Shimoniikawa District, and was officially opened on the 21st of September, 1913, making it the first aquarium to open on the coast of the Sea of Japan.

Due to the Pacific War, the aquarium closed in March 1944 to be used as a fish processing plant.

In 1914, a loss of power lead to the discovery that the Japanese pineapplefish contains luminescent bacteria on each side of its jaw.

[7][8] In 1953, for the Toyama Industrial Exposition, the decision was made to re-establish an aquarium on the site.

[11] Uozu Aquarium features the first shark tunnel to be built in Japan.