We took the bus and a long taxi ride to Shinagawa Suizokukan (Shinagawa Aquarium), a relatively small attraction near Tokyo Harbor. It has a dolphin show and a passel of enormous ugly fish. Admission is 1,100 yen ($11) for adults, $6 for elementary age, and free for children under 4.
This is not Sea World. It's slightly fishy-smelling and fairly packed with schoolchildren.
Having said that, it's a decent place to spend a few hours with a bunch of cheerful 3-year-olds. Arno and his friends checked out some massive, hideous, lumpy gray fish, and the tragic 20-penguin exhibit.
The dolphin show lasts about 25 minutes, with two dolphins leaping around in a small, deep pool at the request of two trainers. Unlike at Sea World, there's a total lack of pretense that the dolphins are living a semi-natural life. Just like the rest of us in Tokyo, the dolphins are surrounded by concrete.
Before the show, Arno and two of his Umi friends, Fflur and Ceinwyn, entertained themselves as a dolphin swam by.
We sat in the front row "splash zone" and felt a few drops but nothing serious.
It was okay fun.
2 comments:
Hey Jessica: If you ever find yourself in Shimoda, and it rains, check out the aquarium there...they feed clams to the sea otter and he slams them against the wall to crack the shells open, which just cracked my boys up. -Maryanne (fellow trailing spouse who remembers you from CU..)
Hi Maryanne,
Thanks for your suggestion. Were you at Columbia or are you thinking of the Univ of Colorado? And where do you live in Japan?
I don't want to post my email address here, but perhaps you have it...
Jessica
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