We held the Kitajikken River "animals Workshop" in fiscal year 2026.

What is the "animals Workshop"?

This workshop is for elementary school students and their guardians residing in Sumida Ward, and aims to teach them about the kinds of animals that live in their local area and provide them with hands-on experience in observing them.

Based on a cooperation agreement concluded with Sumida Ward in 2022, this initiative aims to raise awareness among local residents regarding the natural environment and environmental conservation.

Scenes from the workshop

On June 13th, we held our fifth workshop at Kitajikken River. More than 20 people participated, including elementary school students and their guardians who were selected by lottery.

The weather was perfect that day, making it an ideal day for outdoor observation. When the workshop began, we started by checking the water temperature and clarity of the river.

Also, since we had set up traps to catch animals the day before, we explained how the traps work.

Looking at the river we were observing, the water was quite muddy due to the rain that had fallen the previous day.

To the participants who seemed worried about whether they would actually find animals, the animal care staff explained, "While murky water makes it difficult for animals to see, it also reduces the visibility of fish, making them easier to trap and collect. In fact, higher water clarity isn't always better!" The participants were surprised but nodded in agreement and listened attentively.

Then, each person was given a net, and the observation finally began! Everyone tried their best to collect specimens, using various methods such as running the net along the riverbank or scooping up animals resting at the base of the grass.

The animal care staff also enjoyed collecting specimens together, pointing out areas where animals were likely to be found.

After a while, joyful voices could be heard from all directions, shouting, "I found something!" and "I caught one!" It was a heartwarming sight to see tourists watching over the children engrossed in their collecting from the bridge.

Small fish and shrimp gathered in each participant's bucket, and it was impressive to see not only the children but also their parents observing them with sparkling eyes, as if they had become children themselves.

Some of the animals collected during the workshop were taken back to the aquarium and have become new additions to the "animals of Tokyo" area on the 6th floor.

The "Yamato Blue Butterfly," which was first discovered at last year's workshop, was confirmed again this year, and we also succeeded in collecting a species of "Mimosaurus" that had never been recorded before!

As its name suggests, the mudskipper is a type of goby with a long, slender body like an earthworm, and it moves by slipping through rocks and gravel with its slimy body.

By continuing to hold "animals Workshops," we may encounter animals that we have never seen before.

I'm really looking forward to seeing what kinds of animals we'll encounter at the next workshop.

By conducting these observations on a continuous basis, we can observe changes in the local natural environment and the animals that live there.

Sumida Aquarium will continue to monitor the local environment through workshops and research, and will also continue to provide experiences that allow people to connect with nature in their local area and to disseminate information.