[Ehime Prefectural Fish Museum] It speaks to you!? Why it has been transformed into an aquarium that delights children

A new aquarium proposal where you can tour while listening to the amazing abilities of river fish

The renovated Fish Museum

The only aquarium in Ehime Prefecture is the Osakanakan.
Since the museum has recently undergone a renovation, I decided to take a quick look. Apparently, since the start of the ON THE TRIP initiative, the number of visitors has increased by more than 30% . What kind of renovation has taken place?

In this renewal, a system has been introduced that allows you to learn about the ecology of the fish in front of you through an audio guide while observing the fish in the exhibition space. The ON THE TRIP audio guide allows you to learn about the amazing "fish abilities" of river fish (?!). First, the experience begins by downloading the guide at the entrance.

Download the iOS app here

Download the Android app here

Once you have downloaded the app, search for and select "Osakanakan" from the in-app search tab.
The audio guide can be downloaded for free, so you can listen to it before visiting as a way to prepare, or we recommend downloading the audio guide so you can enjoy it without having to worry about your internet connection.

A renovated exhibition space with cute illustrations that stimulate learning

Starting from the panel at the entrance, which introduces the fish that live upstream, you will tour the museum while listening to information about 10 types of super (fish) abilities.
There are many illustrations scattered throughout the aquarium, each of which is related to the supernatural powers, or rather fish abilities , of the fish.

The illustrations, which clearly show the personalities of the fish, are sure to make not only children but also adults fall in love with them. We even saw adults who came to entertain their children end up enjoying themselves. After learning from the audio guide, it would be fun to talk with your children about which fish they like best.

You can hear right in front of the fish how they have evolved and what abilities they have.

For example, they have the ``self-regeneration'' ability to regenerate limbs , the ``searchlight'' ability to find enemies with their red eyes, and the ``super clone'' ability to give birth even without a male.
All the creatures in the Fish House possess incredible invisible powers, " super abilities " that humans do not have.

At first glance, the fish may seem ordinary, but by listening to the guide they begin to look like completely different creatures.
Learning by stimulating the five senses through seeing, hearing and feeling for oneself leads to real experiences and discoveries that cannot be obtained from textbooks or the internet , and leads to deeper learning. It is a special experience that will not only increase children's motivation to learn, but also stimulate the curiosity of adults.

Adults listen to the guide and explain the characteristics of fish to children. And you can earn respect!

Originally, this fish museum was an aquarium called a learning center, where children could learn about river fish . Located near the Shimanto River, Japan's cleanest river, it opened as an aquarium for learning about the ecology of approximately 120 species of freshwater fish . It is the only aquarium in Ehime, and is also very rare in Japan as it specializes in river fish. The introduction of the audio guide is also an effort to return to the aquarium's roots.

The renovated Osakanakan has strengthened its role as a learning center. As many families with small children visit the museum, there are other ways to make it fun for children besides illustrations. One of these is the introduction of a guide that makes parents want to ask their children, "What kind of superpowers do you think you have?"

While listening to the audio guide, adults ask children at each exhibit, "What kind of superpowers do you think the fish have?" This helps to develop children's thinking skills. Then, by conveying the contents of the guide, children look at each other with surprise and respect, saying, "Mom, Dad, how do you know that?! Amazing!" The aquarium has evolved into one where such conversations between parents and children naturally occur.

As a result of these efforts, the number of tourists has increased by 1.3 times compared to before the audio guide was introduced.

We'll be keeping a close eye on what the Fish Museum does in the future.

Fish Museum

1510-1 Nobenono, Matsuno-machi, Kitauwa-gun, Ehime Prefecture 798-2102

The Fish Museum mainly exhibits freshwater fish, including those from the Shimanto River, Japan's cleanest river. This aquarium introduces the wonders and charms of rivers and fish in a fun way, using audio guides to explain the incredible power of fish. In the open-air diorama tank, which displays the ecosystem from the source to the mouth of the river, the creatures show lively expressions that will soothe your soul. In addition, the "mythical fish" Akame, which lives in the mouth of the river, and the pirarucu, one of the world's largest freshwater fish, will captivate you with their large bodies and graceful swimming. You can also meet other unique animals, such as Asian small-clawed otters, adorable penguins, and the bipedal crocodile "Daigoro."