During Obon holiday (お盆, day of the spirits of ancestors), fellow JETs Greg, Lauren, Neil, and I took our day off work to visit the AQUAS aquarium just north of Hamada. If you’ve ever been to any aquarium in any other place in the world, it’s kind of the same stuff. AQUAS had your usual array of native and imported fish with specific emphasis on whatever sealife and aquatic issues that bear the most importance to where we live. That sort of thing. Some marine biologist out there reading this probably wants to slap me right now. No, seriously, it was educational.

Three favorite photos…

First, flying fish. Because they look cool both inside and outside of water. They’re also one of the special delicacies of my prefecture. Hey there, Delicious.

Second, stringy jellyfish. Ick, imagine getting stung by one of these guys.

Third, and best of all, a rather despondent shark. Yeah… thanks for noticing. Go ahead and giggle at my expense. Sigh.

The sympathetic other fish looks on.

The main attraction we traveled to AQUAS for were the belugas. Just for them, we waited in a long line, obediently entered our stadium seating area, stood, and listened intently to the lady with the classically high-pitched genki Japanese woman voice (hereby the C.H.P.G.J.W.V.) tell us things I couldn’t understand while we watched the “white whales” bounce basketballs, get cuddly with their diver trainer, and finally(!) blow bubbles from their mouths.

[Oh, that guy to the right is not the narrating lady. I think he’s just motioning for us to sit down and shut up.]

Ta Da! Bubbles! Alright!

Go ahead and laugh if you want, but I will willingly fall for such gimmicks. I also want a pet beluga now.