Toba Aquarium

Coordinates: 34°28′54″N 136°50′45″E / 34.48167°N 136.84583°E / 34.48167; 136.84583
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Toba Aquarium
Toba Aquarium Front entrance Map
Map
34°28′54″N 136°50′45″E / 34.48167°N 136.84583°E / 34.48167; 136.84583
Date openedMay 1955
LocationToba, Mie, Japan
Floor space24,981 m2 (268,890 sq ft)[1]
No. of animals30,000[1]
No. of species1,200[1]
Total volume of tanks6,000,000 litres (1,585,000 US gal) [1]
Annual visitors947,000 (2013)
MembershipsJAZA[2]
Websitewww.aquarium.co.jp/index.php

Toba Aquarium (鳥羽水族館, Toba-suizokukan) is a public aquarium, which is located in Toba, Mie, Japan. The aquarium houses 12 zones which reproduce natural environments, housing some 25,000 individuals representing 1,200 species.

The guests are free to tour the aquarium's grounds in any manner they please, as there is no fixed route. The total length of the aisle is about 1.5 kilometers. In 2015, the total number of visitors exceeded 60 million.[3]

The aquarium is characterized by the fact that 80% of the visitors are adults, and is described as a "quality aquarium.[4]

The aquarium is accredited as a Registered Museum by the Museum Act from Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.[5]

History

Entire aquarium facility

Toba Aquarium opened May 1955. It was founded by Haruaki Nakamura(中村幸昭), now the honorary president. It has received more than 50 million visitors, making it one of the most visited locations in Japan.

The opening of the aquarium was triggered by the fact that tourists visiting Mikimoto Pearl Island saw the fish tank of Marukou Suisan (a marine products wholesaler that handles high-end fish) on the opposite shore when they crossed to the island by boat, and came to visit on their way home.

The plan to open an aquarium was proposed in response to this, and since it was the same year that Toba was incorporated as a city under the slogan "Marine Tourism City," and the first mayor, Kokichi Nakamura, and the president of Marukou Suisan were close friends, the plan proceeded smoothly, and on May 15, 1955, Marukou Shoten opened the 26th aquarium in Japan The admission fee at the time was 20 yen.

The admission fee at the time was 20 yen (half price for children), and there were five full-time employees, but employees of Maruko-Suisan were also dispatched to operate the aquarium.

The first aquarium was a "handmade aquarium" with a 200 tsubo pond divided into four sections and stocked with penguins, sea lions, sea bream, and yellowtail, etc. The aquarium was marketed as having a guide.[6][7][8][9]

In 1956, the aquarium became the Toba Aquarium Corporation, and on January 31, 1958, it was designated as a private museum under the Museum Law.[10]

The aquarium was originally located west of its current site, but when it became too cramped, the current site, the former Toba factory of Shinko Denki, was acquired and the first phase of construction was completed on July 2, 1990, and the aquarium was relocated to its current location. On April 1, 1996, the official website was launched and online shopping began.[11][12]

On August 3, 2009, the number of visitors reached 55 million, a first in Japan. On March 8, 2010, the museum's 55th anniversary, the number of visitors reached 5,555,555, and on April 2, 2015, its 60th anniversary, the number reached 60 million.[13]

The founder and former director, Yoshiaki Nakamura (the fourth eldest son of Marukou Fisheries), is currently the honorary director of the museum. Nakamura was told by Keizo Shibusawa, "Develop the aquarium into a good aquarium, and when profits increase, return the profits to academic research and social education," and he took these words to heart and realized them as described above.

The aquarium was temporarily closed from March 2 to March 20, 2020 due to a new type of coronavirus. (This was the second time the museum was closed since Isewan Typhoon (1959).) Then, due to the declaration of a state of emergency, the museum was temporarily closed again from April 10 to May 17, 2020. It resumed normal operations on the following day, May 18.

Research and conservation

Philippine
government in 1987

Toba Aquarium is also known as the best research facility in Japan.

The aquarium hosts scholarly investigations as an adult education institution in conjunction with the

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology officially specifying the Toba Aquarium as a museum. Toba Aquarium also emphasizes protection and breeding of rare marine creatures which are in danger of extinction. Notable breeding events include the birth of a finless porpoise, a birth of the second generation sea otter
for the first time in Japan. The facility has a laboratory where specimens are compiled and open to the public.　dugongs are bred in only three places in the world, and Toba Aquarium is one of them.

The museum also focuses on the protection and nurturing of rare marine life in danger of extinction, and holds the world records for the birth of a baby snapping turtle and Japan's first second-generation sea otter, the world record for dugong breeding at 11,475 days (31 years and 5 months), and the world record for nautilus breeding. The male dugong Junichi, who had broken the world record, died on February 10, 2011 (Heisei 2011) at the estimated age of 33.）[14][15]

Toba Aquarium has had 20 cases of Commerson's dolphin births in the past. Commerson's dolphin "Stella" has been in captivity for 22 years and gave birth on June 21, 2023 at 6:42 AM, her fifth case.[16]

Taxidermy of Megamouth shark

Toba Aquarium is dedicated to the study of megamouth shark. Megamouths have been captured four times in the past off the coast of Mie Prefecture, and a stuffed specimen, measuring 5.2 meters in length, was landed off the coast of Mie in 2005. This specimen was dissected and put in formalin to study its feeding habits.[17]

In 2011 and 2017, megamouth sharks were captured alive, and an official from the breeding and research department of the Toba Aquarium in Mie Prefecture said, "There are only 120 cases of discovery in the world and about 20 in Japan, so it is rare to see them alive." The shark was captured alive in 2017.The sharks were released because their large size made transportation to the aquarium difficult.[18][19]

Bathynomus giganteus

He is also working on research on Bathynomus giganteus. In the past, Bathynomus giganteus "No. 1" fasted for an extended period of time and has not responded to monthly feeding since January 2, 2009, reaching its sixth year of fasting in January 2014.[20] Although Bathynomus giganteuss have always been resistant to starvation, there has never been a case of a Bathynomus giganteus fasting for such a long period of time, and a plan was made to broadcast niconico for a long time to show Bathynomus giganteuss in a fasting state. However, on February 14, 2014, at around 5:00 p.m., when the keepers came to feed the animals in time for Valentine's Day, "No. 1" was confirmed dead.[21]

On February 12, 2016, we were able to photograph and record the process of "No. 5" molting.[22][23][24][25][26] The shell had been whitening and showing signs since the beginning of the year, and we were able to confirm that the molt had begun early in the morning of the 12th, and were able to photograph and record the process. The molt ended around 14:00 on the 12th. This was the first video footage of the molting process that could be recorded, at least in Japan.[27]

In May 2020, an Bathynomus giganteus defecated for the first time in two years.[28]

When Bathynomus giganteus dies, the aquarium holds a funeral service. On February 18, 2014, a memorial program for Bathynomus giganteus No. 1, who fasted for a long period of time, was broadcast live on niconico, temporarily taking down the Toba Aquarium's server.[29] A memorial program was also broadcast after the death of Bathynomus giganteus No. 9.[30]

Facilities

Dugong dugon
Commerson's dolphin
Bester sturgeon
African manatee in Jungle World Tanks

The aquarium is divided into 12 main zones.[31]

Others

Underwater Initiation Ceremony

Toba Aquarium holds an annual induction ceremony called the "Underwater Induction Ceremony" inside a large aquarium tank.[32]

Initiated by a senior staff member of the aquarium, the ceremony will be held for the 13th time in 2019; in 2020, viewing will be limited to approximately 30 relatives of new employees and general visitors to prevent the spread of the epidemic of new coronavirus infection.[33][34]

In the underwater initiation ceremony, the new employees (keepers), dressed in wet suits over their suits, enter the tank with cylinders on their backs, underwater glasses and fins on their feet, receive a waterproofed letter of appointment, and polish the glass of the tank underwater as their "first job". The induction ceremony is open to the public, and the new employees address the visitors underwater; one of the 2013 new employees commented after the ceremony, "I want to provide information that is not on Wikipedia.[34]

performance

  • In NHK's music program "Minna no Uta," Toba Aquarium's sea otters make an appearance.

Gallery

Access

Railway
Near by
Nakanogo Station
  • In advertisements, the nearest station is announced as Toba Station, because Nakanogo Station does not stop Limited Express.
Ferry
Near by Ise-wan Ferry Toba Port.
Car
Pay-as-you-stay type parking "Aqua parking" is next to Toba Aquarium for 400 cars.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d "Data". aquarium.co.jp. Toba Aquarium. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
  2. ^ "Member's List/Aquarium". jazga.or.jp. JAZA. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
  3. ^ "祝！伊勢志摩サミット！〜鳥羽水族館は魚問屋だった！！の巻〜". OTONAMIE. 2015-10-31. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
  4. ^ "入場者数減に歯止めをかけた水族館再生の情報戦略". Bizコンパス. NTTコム オンライン・マーケティング・ソリューション. 2015-02-24. Archived from the original on 2015-03-11. Retrieved 2015-03-11.
  5. ^ "法律上の位置付けがある登録博物館・指定施設". 文化庁. 2024-02-27.
  6. ^ 伊勢志摩国立公園指定50周年記念事業実行委員会 編（1997）：65ページ
  7. ^ 『驕るなかれ: 鳥羽水族館・夢とロマンの半世紀』 中村幸昭、中部経済新聞社, 2005, p68
  8. ^ 鳥羽市史編さん室（1991）：1312ページ。
  9. ^ "おかげさまで50年・鳥羽水族館開館50周年記念式典". 鳥羽水族館. 2005-05-18. Retrieved 2015-03-11.
  10. ^ 1958年（昭和33年）1月31日文部省告示第17号「博物館に相当する施設を指定する件」
  11. ^ "大成建設 | 実績紹介 - 鳥羽水族館". 大成建設. Archived from the original on 2015-03-11.
  12. ^ "鳥羽市観光基本計画―資料編別冊－鳥羽の観光史略年表" (PDF). 鳥羽市. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-03-11.
  13. ^ "鳥羽水族館の累計入館数が6000万人達成 開館60年目で". 伊勢志摩経済新聞. 2015-04-02.
  14. ^ 林（2011）
  15. 中日新聞
    2014年2月25日付朝刊、社会面33ページ
  16. ^ "イロワケイルカに赤ちゃんが誕生！".
  17. ^ "TOBA SUPER AQUARIUM" (PDF).
  18. ^ "熊野灘でもメガマウス 生きたまま捕獲し保護 三重".
  19. ^ メガマウス、また見つかる　三重沖で網に、漁港で保護
  20. ^ 謎の深海生物「ダイオウグソクムシ」丸5年絶食記録更新、ますます謎深まる 2014年1月2日
  21. 読売新聞. Archived from the original
    on 2014-02-23.
  22. ^ "ダイオウグソクムシの脱皮を国内初確認・動画撮影に成功!!". 鳥羽水族館.
  23. ^ "鳥羽水族館「ダイオウグソクムシが脱皮」国内初、世界初の可能性も". 伊勢志摩経済新聞.
  24. ^ "世界初の可能性も ダイオウグソクムシが脱皮 鳥羽水族館で国内初確認". 産経新聞社.
  25. ^ "脱皮、国内で初確認 鳥羽水族館". 毎日新聞.
  26. ^ "ダイオウグソクムシの脱皮、鳥羽水族館が国内で初確認". ねとらぼ.
  27. ^ "ダイオウグソクムシ、半分脱皮で死ぬ 世界初確認ならず：朝日新聞デジタル". 朝日新聞デジタル (in Japanese). 10 December 2019.
  28. ^ "2年ぶりに排便確認 鳥羽のダイオウグソクムシ（写真＝共同）". 日本経済新聞 電子版language=ja. 27 May 2020.
  29. Yahoo!ニュース. Archived from the original
    on 2014-02-23.
  30. ^ "鳥羽水族館のダイオウグソクムシ「9号たん」死ぬ―「ニコ動」で追悼番組". 伊勢志摩経済新聞. 2013-06-13. Archived from the original on 2015-03-11. Retrieved 2015-03-11.
  31. ^ "Introduction of exhibition". aquarium.co.jp. Toba Aquarium. Archived from the original on 22 August 2012. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
  32. 日本経済新聞
    . 2013-03-31.
  33. ^ 鳥羽水族館 (2013-03-31). "今年も開催 大水槽で水中入社式". 鳥羽水族館.
  34. ^ a b "鳥羽水族館で「水中入社式」-黒のスーツの上に空気ボンベ背負って". 伊勢志摩経済新聞. 2013-03-31. Retrieved 2013-04-18.

External links

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