The passion that Sumida Aquarium puts into Natural Aquascape

Once you pass through the entrance and climb the stairs, the first thing that catches your eye is an overwhelming view of water and greenery. It is a deeply relaxing experience that makes you forget you are in the city, and at the same time, it gives you a sense of the dramatic encounter with underwater life that is about to begin. With this special experience as the start of your aquarium journey, in this column we will share the thoughts we put into Natural Aquascape and some tips to enhance your appreciation. (Author: Kakizaki Tomohiro, Deputy Director, Sumida Aquarium)

Sumida Aquarium opened in 2012 with the concept of being a "giant cradle for life," where visitors can experience the lives of animals and the water that nurtures them, all while in the city.
The natural environment is constantly in balance due to various conditions and the relationships between living organisms.
The Natural Aquascape Area is made up of "Nature Aquariums" that express the beautiful scenery and balance of the ecosystem within aquarium tanks.

The term "nature aquarium" and its techniques were proposed in the 1980s by the late Takashi Amano, founder of Aqua Design Amano Co., Ltd. (Niigata Prefecture). It has become widely used in the world of ornamental fish keeping, and some of you may already be familiar with it. The display tanks in the Natural Aquascape area of ​​Sumida Aquarium were conceived and created by Amano himself. As the only nature aquarium he designed in an aquarium in Japan, the landscape remains unchanged from the time of the aquarium's opening, with the cooperation of Aqua Design Amano Co., Ltd.

Why Nature Aquarium? It is because we strongly hope that aquariums will be a "window to nature" for society.
Mr. Amano, a native of Niigata Prefecture, has a strong desire to preserve and convey the ever-changing natural scenery of his hometown, capturing it on film, and we heard that by capturing and expressing the original landscapes in aquariums, he hopes to inspire people with a respect and interest for nature that brings peace to their hearts. We deeply sympathized with the many natural scenes that Mr. Amano has created, which are imbued with his passion.
One of the major roles of an aquarium is to invite visitors into nature and provide them with an inspiring experience, allowing them to feel the vitality of life and learn about the role of the ecosystem. "Natural Aquascape" was born in the hope that it would be an opportunity to open the door to nature.

The three aquascapes, "Virgin Forest Composition," "Grassland and Stone Landscape," which have remained unchanged since the park's opening, and "Waterside with Water Lilies," which was newly added in 2014, were all conceived and designed by Amano. Each has a three-dimensional composition with depth, giving viewers a deep sense of the comfort of nature.

The natural driftwood placed in the center has become slightly thinner over time, but this is the natural process of decomposition. The contrast between the life (aquatic plants) that continues to thrive here and the natural object (driftwood) whose clock hands have stopped, representing the laws of nature, makes us feel the quiet passage of time in nature.

Gazing at the scenery and appreciating each and every tiny life. The sensations that arise from this are different for each individual, but there are also some points that can lead to deeper realizations. Here are some of them.

Plants play an important role in the cycle of life and the balance of the ecosystem. They not only create beautiful scenery, but also produce oxygen, which is essential for life. The "oxygen bubbles" that form on the undersides of their leaves are the "jewels" that nurture all life. We encourage you to try and find this mysterious sight.

The previously introduced "Virgin Forest Composition" depicts the underwater scenery of the Amazon. The water surface, on which the underwater scenery is beautifully reflected, is breathtakingly beautiful, and the experience of looking up at the water's surface is also moving. In fact, one of the concepts behind the design was to lie down and leisurely gaze at the water's surface. This is a special experience that can only be had with a large, deep aquascape.

As you can see, "Water Lily Waterside" recreates the life of water lilies beneath the surface of the water. In our minds, water lilies are flowers that are admired in ponds or pots (Shinobazu Pond in Tokyo is a famous example), but that is only our perspective as people who live on land. For aquatic creatures, the shadow of the water lily is a peaceful home.

Natural Aquascape foster healing and respect for nature, and also dramatically convey the cycle of life.

The exhibition area of ​​Sumida Aquarium that follows this one is equipped with many tanks that are "freely oriented" and "viewable from any of the four sides." If you look at the tanks from various angles using the perspectives introduced here, you may discover new things you hadn't noticed before. It is our sincere hope that your aquarium experience, which begins with the "Natural Aquascape," and your everyday life will become a door full of new stimulation and discoveries.