Churaumi Aquarium - A new side!

Of course we had to take Colleen & TJ to the Aquarium! We had a great day here -- and even got to see a few new things.

One of my favorite animals is the Spiny Lobster. It's just amazing!

We wanted to capture the look of excitement on TJ's face when he finally got to see the big tank and the whale sharks (the largest fish).

You can eat lunch at a little cafe at the bottom of the tank. We could have sat here for hours!

After you see the big tank -- they have this little sample of the thickness of the glass (actually, I think it's acrylic). After seeing this, I think this makes the tank more impressive!The special treat was that we could take a "backstage" tour. We got to see the big tank from the top!
I'm sure that sign says something important. I've got to keep working on my Japanese Rosetta Stone!

Yes, Colleen took her shoe off for this picture.

It was really cool to be up there. The tank is so very impressive from the regular Aquarium view -- but this takes it to another level. It's just so massive!

Workers getting ready to dive in to clean the tank.

We think this is the track that they use to take the fish in and out of the big tank.