The opening of the Tokyo Sky Tree did a lot to revive the surrounding Sumida neighborhood of Tokyo. Not only does having the highest structure and observation platform in all of Japan put the district squarely in the spotlight, the Sky Tree is surrounded by a number of other attractions that draw visitors both foreign and domestic.
In addition to the Solamachi shopping and dining complex, you’ll also find a planetarium and aquarium at the base of the tower, making it a one-stop center for anyone interested in the sky, stars, or sea. And to celebrate the third anniversary of the Sky Tree’s opening, a group of travellers will be riding the train to Sumida with some very special company: a group of adorable penguins.
The Sumida Aquarium is home to all sorts of marine life, but the biggest stars are its penguins, who frolic and float in a spacious habitat in the center of the facility.
A number of events are planned as part of the Sky Tree’s third birthday, which is officially May 22. For its part, the Sumida Aquarium is planning something called the Penguin Train, which is exactly what it sounds like.
Kitakasukabe Station is located in Saitama Prefecture’s Kasukabe City on the Tobu Isesaki Line, a portion of which is also known as the Tokyo Sky Tree line because its southernmost stop is right at the base of the tower. At 12:10 p.m. on May 17, a group of elementary school children, chosen through applications submitted through the Tobu Railway website, and their families will board the train at Kitakasukabe bound for Tokyo Sky Tree Station.
The trip will take about 50 minutes, which ordinarily would be plenty of time for the little tykes to get antsy. We doubt any of them will be bored on this day, though, since they’ll be sharing the train with a group of four Magellanic penguins on loan from the Sumida Aquarium.
The dapper birds will be parading through the train, giving the passengers a chance to observe them up-close. Upon arriving at Tokyo Sky Tree Station, the group will proceed to the aquarium to watch the animals’ feeding, plus listen to a talk from their caretakers before proceeding on a tour of the rest of the aquarium and making the trip up to the Sky Tree’s observation platform hundreds of meters above the city.
The penguins, meanwhile, will be relaxing in the pool, having already had enough excitement for one day after taking their train ride, something their species rarely has occasion to do.
Related: Sumida Aquarium website
Source: IT Media, Tobu
Top image: Tobu (edited by RocketNews24)
Insert images: Sumida Aquarium, Tobu (edited by RocketNews24)