Operating an aquarium in a building complex under Tokyo’s highest tower miles from the sea sounds like a real challenge. But this is exactly what ORIX Group has been doing for more than a decade, without a hitch and to considerable public acclaim judging by visitor numbers.
In fact, ORIX Group has two such “urban aquariums”. As well as the SUMIDA AQUARIUM adjacent to Tokyo’s 634m tall TOKYO SKYTREE tower, it also runs the KYOTO AQUARIUM in a purpose-built facility a few minutes from the railway station in the center of Japan’s ancient capital. Even in a country that is very fond of observing marine life – Japan has more than 60 aquariums – running two such urban facilities is rare.
Explaining the choice of city center locations, Takaaki Nitanai, Senior Managing Executive Officer of ORIX’s Real Estate division which runs the aquariums, says: “We wanted to make it easy for people to stop by, like going to their local park.”
Convenience, however, is just one aspect of the continuing success of these two aquariums, which both opened in 2012, with ORIX building on experience it gained by financing the privatization of the ENOSHIMA AQUARIUM near Kamakura in 2004.
Cute critters and dazzling displays
The core of their appeal is a wide range of truly eye-catching displays. At SUMIDA AQUARIUM, visitors can walk through a hall containing numerous species of jellyfish which are displayed underneath their feet in tanks of varying sizes that are backlit by changing colored lights. The effect is other-worldly as they observe the gentle movement of creatures that are said to have remained unchanged for hundreds of millions of years.
Rather livelier are the Magellan penguins that frolic in a 350-ton indoor open water tank, one of Japan’s biggest. SUMIDA AQUARIUM also features fur seals and one of the country’s largest goldfish collections, while KYOTO AQUARIUM houses its own set of penguins, as well as dolphins and a giant salamander, a rare amphibian described as ‘a living fossil’.
ORIX Group has been adept at using its prize exhibits to create a buzz. KYOTO AQUARIUM has had September 9th officially registered as “Giant Salamander Day” since the shape of the curled-up creature looks a bit like the number “9”. A 1.7-meter-long oversized stuffed toy of the endangered giant salamander has become a hot topic on social media, with fans describing it as “weird but cute”. SUMIDA AQUARIUM, meanwhile, attracted a lot of publicity for the original way in which it displayed its jellyfish.
Visitor numbers bear out the fruits of this approach: both aquariums attracted more than 1 million visits in 2023.
More than just money
There is more at stake, however, than just commercial success, says Mr. Nitanai, describing the aquariums as perfect examples of “edutainment”, where children, in particular, learn as they enjoy themselves. “As an aquarium operator, I also have an educational role and a sense of mission to maintain biodiversity”, he argues.
Both facilities feature local marine life in their main tanks. At KYOTO AQUARIUM this includes fish from the Sea of Japan, with sharks and stingrays but also sea bream and mackerel. SUMIDA AQUARIUM focuses on the Ogasawara Islands off the coast of Tokyo and works to protect the local sea turtles, raising them for one year before returning them to the waters of Ogasawara. All of these environmental conservation efforts are bundled under the ‘AQTION!’ label.
Every year, specialists from both aquariums visit local elementary schools with living exhibits in tow as well as conducting on-site lessons for visiting classes. "Since the agreement to protect the world's biodiversity at COP15 in 2022, the way we think about the natural environment has changed globally, and the nature of aquariums has also changed," notes Mr. Nitanai.
ORIX Group solved the technical challenges of operating inland by adopting an artificial seawater production system. Not only does this guarantee consistent water quality, it has also eliminated the CO2 emissions generated when transporting seawater in large trucks. On top of that, a high-performance filtration system means only 1% of the water volume needs to be replaced daily.
The combination of educating, entertaining and enhancing sustainability means the aquarium business makes a “truly impactful and unique contribution to ORIX Group” and its Purpose of ‘Finding Paths. Making Impact’, concludes Mr. Nitanai.
