Izu Mito Sea Paradise, Aquarium in Numazu, Japan
Izu Mito Sea Paradise is an aquarium in Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture, operated by Izuhakone Railway. Its 1977 building was designed by Kiyoshi Seike and received the BCS Prize in 1979. The site faces a sheltered inlet of Suruga Bay and holds a 40-ton tank with about 400 species from the bay, plus pools for dolphins, sea lions and penguins.
The aquarium opened in 1930 as Nakanoshima Aquarium and stands as the second oldest operating aquarium in Japan. It adopted its current name in 1977 and has expanded the facilities several times since.
The mascot Uchicchi was created in spring 2014 after a proposal from a class at nearby Uchiura Elementary School. It is modelled on the aquarium's walrus, and its name combines Uchiura's "uchi", the local dialect word "uchicchi" meaning "ours", and the walrus's "uchi". A costume, now in its second version, appears in the park and at outside events.
The facility opens daily at 9 AM and closes around 5 PM, with longer hours on weekends and holidays. The paths between areas are mostly level, but some sections are outdoors and can be slippery when wet.
The institution was the first in Japan to successfully breed bottlenose dolphins, walruses and sea otters. Today the team continues to care for rare species and shares husbandry knowledge with other parks.
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