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1 minute walk from the station! Entertainment that travels around the world's waterfronts

駅から徒歩1分! 世界の水辺を旅するエンターテインメント

Go, see and feel the world of art
File.29 Kawasaki Kawasaki Aquarium
Miyuki Inoue (Magcal Editorial Department)

It's the season when I miss the waterside.
I'm not a great swimmer, but watching the fish swimming happily in the water somehow calms me down.

An aquarium has opened that we would like to introduce to those who share these same thoughts. The location is inside the commercial facility "Kawasaki Le Fron", which is a 1- minute walk from JR Kawasaki Station. First, go to the 10th floor where the ticket counter is located!

There are daytime and evening sessions, and the evening session is open until 10 o'clock (last entry is one hour early), so you can feel free to stop by on your way home from work. The cafe next to the entrance sells original soft serve ice cream, popcorn, and Kawasaki craft beer. Eating and drinking is allowed inside the facility, so it would be fun to enjoy a walk along the waterfront with a beer in hand.

The "prologue" that continues from the entrance features a monochrome tropical rainforest drawn in chalk art. When I suddenly saw a tiger appear from between the trees and a brightly colored bird took off, I couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow!" Attractive production that makes full use of cutting-edge lighting, sound, and video technology!

The first of the six zones in the exhibit is the Tamagawa Zone. Yes, the theme is the creatures of the familiar river that flows through my hometown, Kawasaki.

The first three aquariums you see display creatures from upstream, midstream, and downstream. In other words, it is a realistic reproduction of the current Tama River ecosystem.
The Tama River once had serious water pollution, but in recent years, sweetfish have also started to migrate upstream. On the other hand, there were also non-native species swimming around that had taken up residence before I knew it, which made me think about the impact of human life on the river ecosystem.

The video shown on the back is a scene of the Tama River taken by actually flying a drone. From the deep green water source, down the stream to the river mouth where buildings are lined up. I am moved by the fact that the flow of the Tama River is a “journey”.

The next ``Oceania/Asia Zone'' exhibits not only freshwater fish such as the world's largest Mekong giant catfish, but also the honeysuckle frog and sugar glider.

Africa is said to be the oldest continent in the world, and the creatures there are also unique. Experience the wonders of life, such as fish swimming upside down and fish that can survive without water.

By the way, QR codes are installed in the exhibit instead of explanation panels. When you load this on your smartphone or tablet, the names and characteristics of the creatures on display will be displayed.

South America is home to the Amazon River, which nurtures the world's largest tropical rainforest, and what you should pay attention to is the Pantanal area, which is known as a ``treasure trove of biological species'' and has been registered as a World Heritage Site. In the background of the aquarium, videos taken in the Amazon River basin are played, and the lighting and sound change depending on the time of day: morning, noon, evening, and night, making it very magical.

The huge aquarium, which holds 40 tons of water, displays about 8,000 creatures that sparkle in the water, including neon tetras. It's U-shaped, so if you stand in the middle, you'll feel like you're underwater.

Before proceeding to the next zone, take a break at Komorebi Cafe. The menu features photogenic items such as colorful original sweets and ``Pirarucu coconut curry'' made with Amazonian fish.
There is also a ``kids' room'' next door.

Next, head to the panoramic screen zone with a dynamic 200-degree wide-angle screen. There, river dolphins and manatees, which live in the Amazon River, were swimming happily.
It's a digital video, but when you get close to the screen, the river dolphins come up to you and wave and spin around! Advanced technology is amazing! To see what kind of movements it responds to, try it out as if you were a dolphin trainer.

Next is the Lencois area. It is a vast sand dune that exists in Brazil, and countless emerald green lakes appear only during the rainy season. The strange thing is that when a lake appears, fish also appear. How do they spend their time during the dry season? While looking at the beautiful fish reflecting on the white sand, I thought about the mysterious world.

``Agua Lab'' is a project unique to Kawasui, where you can get a glimpse behind the scenes of the aquarium. Equipment such as breeding equipment, spare water tanks, rain mist water servers for the Amazon zone, Amazon rain fog units, filtration circulation pumps, and other equipment are lined up and are very interesting. It seems that a backyard tour is also planned in the future, so please look forward to it.

"Amazon Zone" is an open space that takes advantage of the atrium on the 9th and 10th floors. Watering holes for creatures have been built in the thicket of trees, and you can even see capybaras bathing in the tanks. The jungle creatures are currently preparing to get used to their environment, but once the exhibit opens, it is likely that you will be able to see birds flying around in the jungle. Events such as feeding the capybara are also planned.
*Please see the official website for event dates.

The world's largest freshwater fish, pirarucu and piranhas, swim leisurely in the five aquariums.
The squalls that fall in the rainforest and the mist that envelops the plants will be recreated, so you'll want to experience the Amazon with your whole body.

Touch screens are installed next to aquariums, not just in the Amazon zone. This is an exhibition system called "LINNÉ LENS Screen" (developed and provided by Linne Co., Ltd.) that uses AI to analyze underwater camera images in real time and automatically displays the species names and explanations of the creatures in the aquarium. , a cutting-edge technology introduced by Kawasui for the first time in the world.

Currently, the touch function cannot be used due to coronavirus precautions, but being able to check information on the creatures swimming in the aquarium in real time is truly revolutionary!

The last thing to look forward to is the Kawasui Official Shop.

There is a huge selection of Kawasui's special goods, including unique original products. It can be used even by those who do not enter the aquarium, so it can be fun to visit in search of new Kanagawa souvenirs.

Kawasui has introduced the "Crowd Ramp" service ( developed and provided by Loco Guide Co., Ltd. ) to determine the congestion status of the aquarium in three stages: "empty," "slightly crowded," and "crowded."On the official website, Kawasui app, and "Kawasaki Le Fron" 1st floor. Streamed in real time to an LED screen. In addition, we will take measures to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. For details, please refer to the Kawasui official website .

*Image of the "Congestion Lamp" display on Kawasui's official website

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