Okay, is everyone ready for summer? You may already have vacation plans, but if you’re going to be in Tokyo this summer, you may want to consider visiting the Sunshine Aquarium in the Ikebukuro area. Why? Because you’ll be able to see “flying penguins” there this summer!

According to the Sunshine Aquarium’s Facebook page (which unfortunately is available in Japanese only), the special penguin exhibit will take place at the aquarium for a limited period from July 20th to September 2nd this year.

So how exactly are penguins going to “fly”?

During the period of the special exhibit, penguins will be swimming in the “Sunshine Aqua Ring” between 6:30p.m. and 7:30p.m. each day. One of the aquarium’s main attractions, the Aqua Ring is a clear, ring-shaped tank that is elevated 2.3 meters (about 7 and 1/2 ft) from the ground so that visitors can look up at the tank from below. The tank is usually used as a swimming area for seals but will specially be opened to penguins during the summer exhibit period. The Sunshine Aquarium Facebook page says that guests can look forward to the exciting sight of the penguins swimming as if they are flying in the air.

Well, we think cute penguins “flying” in the middle of Tokyo is pretty cool – cool enough, in fact, to blast away the summer heat!

Not surprisingly, many people are excited about the exhibit and have been posting enthusiastic comments on the aquarium’s Facebook page such as:

“Wow, definitely have to go see this!”
“So, so, so want to go!!!!”
“Flying penguins! What an exhilarating sight!”
“This is too awesome!”
“I never get tired of looking at penguins.”
“Sooooo cute!!!!”
“I want to be a penguin!”
“As a serious aquarium fan, I have to go see this!”
“I would love to lie down and look up from below the tank.”

It looks like these flying penguins will be providing fun and entertainment for many visitors this summer. The penguins really are fascinating to watch, and just looking at them gliding smoothly through the water makes you want to be a penguin yourself.

For your information, the Sunshine Aquarium is located on the rooftop of the nine-story building “World Import Mart”, which is part of a large entertainment complex called Sunshine City . The complex includes restaurants, restaurants, an indoor theme park, a planetarium, a hotel and also the Sunshine 60, a skyscraper that boasts the highest observation deck in Tokyo, so if you do go to the aquarium, you’ll find other attractions nearby as well. (Further information in Japanese is available on the Sunshine City website and the Sunshine Aquarium website.)

Source: Facebook/ Sunshine Aquarium page

▼An enlarged version of the picture – the penguins certainly look like they’re having a grand time!


[ Read in Japanese ]