Greet all! My
name is Bayu, allow me to share one of our activities as an International
student of Tohoku University. Obviously, as an International student we have opportunity
and advantages to learn more about Japan, which is not only well-known for its interesting
culture and landscape but also technology and nature conservation. Moreover,
the Japanese has awareness of the environmental damage and the sustainable of
natural resources. It made them seriously concern to the nature conservation.
Anyway, every
year faculty of Agriculture and Graduate School of Agricultural Science invite
us to a short trip program. The main aim is to provide the International
Student, not only to know each other during our busy activities but also increase
our knowledge about Japan. This year, the committee decided to visit the Kamo
Aquarium (加茂水族館) in
Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Pref., which exhibits the highest number of species for
jelly fishes in the world.
The group
departed from the Amamiya campus gate at 08:30 by bus. The first destination is
Shonai Kanko Bussankan Furusato-Honpo (庄内観光物産館ふるさと本舗). The restaurants
and fish market among its rest area, making it more interesting as a transit
area.
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| Shonai Kanko Bussankan Furusato-Honpo rest area |
From Shonai Kanko to Kamo Auqarium takes 30 minutes, and we arrive in second destination at 13:30. Mr. Kazuya Okuizumi as Sub-Director of Tsuruoka Kamo Aquarium welcomes us and gives us brief explanation at once. He explained that the number of visitors has been on the increase, particularly since Japanese scientist Osamu Shimomura, professor emeritus at Boston University got Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2008, for his discovery of the mysterious green glow of a jelly fish – the green fluorescent protein (GPF). Now, the aquarium displays around 40 varieties, claimed to be one of the biggest in the world.
From Shonai Kanko to Kamo Auqarium takes 30 minutes, and we arrive in second destination at 13:30. Mr. Kazuya Okuizumi as Sub-Director of Tsuruoka Kamo Aquarium welcomes us and gives us brief explanation at once. He explained that the number of visitors has been on the increase, particularly since Japanese scientist Osamu Shimomura, professor emeritus at Boston University got Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2008, for his discovery of the mysterious green glow of a jelly fish – the green fluorescent protein (GPF). Now, the aquarium displays around 40 varieties, claimed to be one of the biggest in the world.
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| Tsuruoka Kamo Aquarium of “Jelly Fish” |
It was a good time for us, unfortunately we had limited time. It’s a new
thing for many of us, and still we couldn’t figure yet about the Jelly Fish
breeding. It has proven by so many questions that we asked during
Okuisumi-san’s brief class of. Luckily, we still got an opportunity to observed
jelly fish by the microscope. Hence, the field trip is very interesting,
enjoyable and useful. We hope that this program could conduct frequently, not
only once but at least twice a year. Mina-san, otsukaresamadeshita!
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Story and Photos by
Prasojo Bayu