Loved for 35 Years! The History and New Era of the Suma Aqualife Park Kobe

Suma, a part of Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, is a picturesque town surrounded by the Rokko Mountains and the sea. In ancient times, Suma was a popular scenic spot often mentioned in waka and haiku poems, and today it is a popular spot for hiking and swimming.
Suma Aqualife Park Kobe has been a longtime favorite in the Suma area, 35 years since its opening in 1987 (Showa 62), and 65 years including its predecessor, the Suma Aquarium. Known affectionately as Sumasui to the locals, the aquarium has been a place of recreation and relaxation where anybody can become familiar with sea otters, dolphins, penguins, a wide variety of fish, and many other living creatures.
Suma Aqualife Park Kobe has been loved by the local community for a long time. In June 2024, the aquarium is scheduled to make a new start as Kobe Suma Sea World.
This is a report on how the Suma Aqualife Park Kobe held a special event to express its gratitude for all the support it has received in the run-up to its closing.

The "Dream Project" was the centerpiece of the "Closing Project" launched at the Suma Aqualife Park Kobe in preparation for the closing of the aquarium at the end of May. The five dreams were selected from among more than 1,000 "dreams to be fulfilled at the Aquarium.”
A 12-year-old girl made her dream come true: "I want to experience being a tortoise keeper." She fell in love with the tortoises at first sight, “Their eyes are so cute,” she would say, and is currently raising two Hermann's tortoises at home. On this day, she experienced the work of a tortoise keeper with the staff in charge of raising sea turtles and tortoises.
After changing into boots and a uniform with the aquarium's logo, they started by preparing food. Then they weighed grass, which is also used to feed cows and rabbits, and prepared Chinese cabbage for rehydration. Suma Aqualife Park Kobe keeps four African spurred tortoises.
After leading the tortoises from their burrows to a feeding area called "Turtle Mountain" and having them explain the characteristics of the four tortoises and how to recognize them, the participants were challenged to weigh the tortoises once a month before feeding them. The tortoises are weighed by turning their shells over so that they do not move on the scale. It is quite hard work to turn over the tortoises, which weigh about 30kg for the smallest and over 60kg for the largest.
After weighing the tortoises, they fed them, cleaned their shells, and cleaned their burrows and feeding areas. It is a physically demanding job, but the girl was very happy to get up close and personal with the turtles she had longed to see.
Even after the hands-on experience was over, it was impressive to see her eagerly asking questions with notes in hand, such as "I want to know the signs of illness," and "What should I do to become a keeper in the future?"

Two brothers aged 12 and 8, rushed from Osaka Prefecture, to fulfill their dream of becoming store clerks at the Coral Shop, the aquarium's museum store. They are regular visitors too, and have participated in backyard tours. The 8-year-old brother, who loves the Coral Shop, applied for this project.
As it was a Sunday before the aquarium was about to close, the aquarium was crowded with many customers, including parents, children, and groups. They worked on a variety of tasks, such as putting items in bags for customers after they had finished paying at the cash register, rearranging items neatly, and taking out items that were running low.
Brothers were in charge of guiding visitors to the popular "stuffed animal raffle" next to the shop. and handed out the prize, a stuffed sea turtle. The first-prize winner, a big-sized stuffed animal, is congratulated by ringing the bell cheerfully and saying "Congratulations!"
The two were able to experience the detailed work of store clerks, which they would not normally be able to see, and they were all in good spirits, saying "That was fun!" After the experience, the siblings drew lots for stuffed toys and purchased the items they wanted. They left the park with many memories and stuffed animals.
Other special events were also held at the Suma Aqualife Park Kobe, including talk events with invited guests, workshops, and projection mapping to look back on the past Sumasui events to show the appreciation to all the visitors.

"The aquarium is truly loved by the local community,” Shuichi Tozawa, Manager of Operations, recalls.
When the decision was made to close the aquarium, the staff wanted to express their gratitude to those who had enjoyed the aquarium so much, which led to the creation of a number of special events. The opinions of veterans who have been involved with the aquarium for a long time and staff from Suma, especially valued. The Dream Project was also realized at the suggestion of local staff.
When the staff realized their dream of playing taiko drums in front of the large aquarium tank, they were able to see the powerful performance up close and the audience joined in. Although there were times when it was difficult to interact with the guests, the staff were glad that they were able to implement the Dream Project again before the aquarium closed.
On the final day, a ceremony titled "Smiles and Gratitude on Sumasui's Last Day" was held, featuring performances by local elementary, junior high, and high school students, who danced and recited memorable essays. The ceremony, which was planned with the hope that everyone would enjoy themselves to their heart's content until the very end, was a very exciting event.
After the park closes, preparations will begin for the grand opening of Kobe Suma Sea World in June 2024.
The aquarium will be reborn as an even more spectacular and enjoyable aquarium with the addition of new creatures as well as those that have been carefully cared for up to now. Together with the development of Suma Seaside Park, where Sumasui is located, we hope to make the aquarium a representative spot of Kobe and further enliven the community.
After the aquarium closes, Mr. Tozawa says that a big project awaits, moving the creatures to a new aquarium tank. The entire staff is working together to create a complete system for the first step toward a new history.