1 minute walk from the station! Entertainment that travels around the world's waterfronts
A world of art to visit, see and feel
File.29 Kawasaki Aquarium
Miyuki Inoue (Magcal Editorial Department)
It's the season when I miss the waterside.
I'm not a good swimmer, but watching the fish swimming comfortably in the water somehow calms my mind.
A new aquarium has opened that we would like to introduce to everyone who shares the same feelings. It is located in the commercial facility "Kawasaki Le Front," a one- minute walk from JR Kawasaki Station. First, head to the 10th floor where the ticket counter is located!
There are day and evening sessions, and the evening session is open until 10pm (last entry 1 hour before), so you can easily drop in on your way home from work. The cafe next to the entrance sells original soft serve ice cream, popcorn, Kawasaki craft beer, and more. Eating and drinking is allowed inside the building, so it would be fun to enjoy a stroll along the water with a beer in hand.
The "Prologue" that continues from the entrance features a monochromatic tropical rainforest drawn with chalk art. Suddenly, a tiger appears from between the trees and colorful birds fly out, making you exclaim, "Wow!" The presentation is captivating, making full use of cutting-edge lighting, sound, and video technology!
The first of the six zones is the Tama River Zone, which focuses on creatures living in the river that runs through Kawasaki, his hometown.
The first three tanks that catch your eye display creatures from the upper, middle and lower reaches of the river, creating a realistic reproduction of the current ecosystem of the Tama River.
The Tama River once suffered from serious water pollution, but in recent years sweetfish have started swimming upstream. On the other hand, invasive species that have taken up residence there without our knowledge are also swimming in the river, which made me think about the impact that human life has on the river's ecosystem.
The video playing on the background shows the Tama River scenery, shot by flying a drone. From the lush green source, down the stream, to the mouth of the river lined with buildings. It's moving to see the flow of the Tama River as a "journey."
The next zone, "Oceania/Asia Zone," displays not only freshwater fish such as the Mekong giant catfish, one of the world's largest, but also three-horned leaf frogs and sugar gliders.
Africa is said to be the oldest landmass in the world, and the creatures there are quite unique. You can experience the wonder of life, such as fish that swim upside down and fish that can survive without water.
By the way, instead of explanatory panels, the exhibits are equipped with QR codes that, when scanned with a smartphone or tablet, display the names and characteristics of the creatures on display.
In South America, home to the Amazon River, the world's largest tropical rainforest, the Pantanal Area is a World Heritage Site known as a "treasure trove of biological species." In the background of the tank, footage shot in the Amazon River basin is played, and the lighting and sound change depending on the time of day, morning, noon, evening, or night, creating a truly magical experience.
The huge tank, which holds 40 tons of water, displays about 8,000 sparkling underwater creatures, including neon tetras. It is U-shaped, so if you stand in the middle, you'll feel like you're in the water.
Before proceeding to the next zone, take a break at the Komorebi Cafe. They have a photogenic menu, including colorful original sweets and the Pirarucu Coconut Curry, made with Amazonian fish.
There is also a kids room next door.
Next, we went to the Panorama Screen Zone, which features a dynamic 200-degree wide-angle screen, where we could see river dolphins and manatees that live in the Amazon River swimming comfortably.
Although it is a digital image, when you approach the screen, the river dolphins will come over, wave their hands, and spin around! Amazing cutting-edge technology! Try it out and pretend to be a dolphin trainer to see what movements they react to.
Next up is the Lençóis Area. It is a vast sand dune area that actually exists in Brazil, where countless emerald green lakes appear only during the rainy season. What's strange is that when the lakes appear, fish also appear. How do they spend their time during the dry season? I let my thoughts wander to this mysterious world as I gazed upon the beautiful fish that stood out against the white sand.
The "Agua Lab" is a unique project by Kawasui that gives you a glimpse into the backstage of the aquarium. It is intriguing to see the equipment such as rearing equipment, spare tanks, rain mist water servers for the Amazon zone, Amazon rain mist units, and filtration circulation pumps. Backstage tours are also planned for the future, so look forward to them.
The "Amazon Zone" is an open space that makes use of the atrium between the 9th and 10th floors. A watering hole for the creatures has been created among the trees, and you can see capybaras bathing in the tank. The jungle creatures are currently preparing to get used to their new environment, but once the exhibit opens, you may be able to see birds flying through the jungle. Events such as feeding capybaras are also planned.
*Please check the official website for event dates.
The five aquariums are home to the world's largest freshwater fish, arapaima, and piranhas, swimming leisurely along the water.
Apparently they will also recreate the rain showers that descend on the rainforest and the mist that envelops the plants, so I can't wait to "experience" the Amazon with my whole body.
Not only in the Amazon Zone, but also next to the aquariums, there are touch screens. This is an exhibition system called "LINNÉ LENS Screen" (developed and provided by Linne Co., Ltd.), which uses AI to analyze underwater camera footage in real time and automatically displays the species names and descriptions of the creatures in the aquarium. This cutting-edge technology was introduced for the first time by Kawasui.
Currently, the touch function cannot be used due to COVID-19 countermeasures, but being able to check information about the creatures swimming in the aquarium in real time is revolutionary!
The final treat is the Kawasui Official Shop.
The shop is packed with unique original products and other unique goods that you can only find at Kawa-Sui. Even those who don't visit the aquarium can use the shop, so it's fun to visit the shop to find a new souvenir from Kanagawa.
Kawasui has introduced the "Crowded Lamp" service ( developed and provided by Loco Guide Co., Ltd. ) , which will display the aquarium's congestion status in three levels - "empty," "slightly crowded," and "crowded" - in real time on the official website, the Kawasui app, and the LED screen on the first floor of "Kawasaki LeFron." In addition, measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 will be taken. Please refer to the Kawasui official website for details.
*Image of the "Congestion Lamp" displayed on Kawasui's official website
