Tokyo Sea Life Park has various departments, including animal care and exhibition staff, and education and outreach staff.

As part of 　the commemorative projects for our 35th anniversary this year, we will be publishing a series of articles titled "The Dreams of Aquarium Leaders," in which leaders from each department will discuss themes such as "the ideal exhibit/aquarium" and "what they want to do and their dreams for their future work."

The 10th installment: "Cherishing Hospitality"

What do you enjoy most about aquariums? You might think of things like the tuna tank, the tanks depicting oceans from around the world, or the penguin and seabird exhibits. But are you also enjoying a meal at the restaurant or shopping at the gift shop? I imagine not many people would think of these first, but I'd be relieved if you thought, "Ah, yes, that's definitely one of the things I enjoy." That's right, I work in sales. I'm in charge of the food shop and gift shop within the aquarium.

Now, the job of a sales staff member is to create safe, delicious food in a food shop and to provide a place where diverse people can enjoy themselves comfortably. Tuna is popular at aquariums, and the most popular item on the menu is "Tuna Cutlet Curry." The combination of a large tuna cutlet and a spicy, rich curry sauce is very popular.


The most popular item: "Tuna Cutlet Curry"
It's not quite as grand as food education, but we hope that by learning about fish and eating the precious lives they represent, people will feel a connection to living things through food. In addition, we actively engage in eco-friendly activities, such as promoting local production and consumption using ingredients from island regions and using ingredients with a low environmental impact. We strive to provide service with a smile so that our customers can enjoy their meals while recalling the exhibits.


Island menu: "Hachijojima Seafood Plate"
The gift shop also carries a wide range of ocean-related products, including stuffed animals, sweets, and miscellaneous goods. While it's difficult to touch the creatures swimming in the tanks, visitors can handle stuffed animals and figurines. Although it's not the same as experiencing their actual texture, we believe that being able to touch and see them up close is a major way to convey the characteristics of the creatures and pique their interest.

For example, take our "Pacific Bluefin Tuna plush toy." If you look closely at the back of its body, you'll see small yellow fins, or finlets, lined up above and below, and a caudal peduncle protrusion at the base of the tail fin. If people look at these fins and protrusions and wonder, "What is this?", then we've succeeded. While "appearance" is important to encourage people to pick up our products, we also value expressing "authenticity" that allows them to take that extra step closer to real marine life.


Our specially crafted "Pacific Bluefin Tuna Tuna Plush Toy" is available in S, M, and 2L sizes.
I work in sales, but actually, in my elementary school graduation essay, I wrote that my dream was to become a professional baseball player or an aquarium keeper. I love the ocean. I majored in marine biology in college, but after graduation I took a job unrelated to the sea. I changed jobs and started working for Tokyo Zoological Park Society, and after about 15 years, I was assigned to Tokyo Sea Life Park for the first time last year. I'm not animal keeper, but I feel it's a strange twist of fate that I'm now working at an aquarium, something I dreamed of doing when I was in elementary school.

As someone who loves the ocean and works at an aquarium, my dream is to get many people interested in the ocean through our products. What can I do as a salesperson to achieve that? I believe it's "omotenashi" (Japanese hospitality). Not just service, but genuine hospitality. Even if we develop environmentally friendly menus and products, if we serve them mechanically, they won't resonate with people and will be forgotten after the moment. I believe that telling the story behind the development of these products in my own words is my way of "omotenashi," and if that leads to someone taking action, then those menus and products will truly have meaning.

We aim to continue creating a shop where people can learn about the ocean while having fun. Please stop by our shop when you visit the aquarium.

[Kazuki Kojima, Sales Manager Tokyo Sea Life Park]

◎Related articles
・ We offer MSC/ASC certified menu items, "Sustainable Seafood." (September 21, 2022)

・Series: 35th Anniversary Project "The Dreams of Aquarium Leaders"
　[1] Thoughts on the exhibits at the aquarium
　[2] The path that aquariums aim for - We want them to always be close to you
　[3] Would you like to get involved in the maintenance and management of the facilities that support the aquarium from behind the scenes?
　[4] Aquariums where you can learn while having fun
　[5] I want to create the ocean
　[6] Aqua Positive
　[7] Aiming for an inclusive aquarium
　[8] The Dreaming Old Man
　[9] The job of a "boatman" at an aquarium - Let's continue the dream together!
　[10] Value hospitality
　[11] What we want to convey from shops and restaurants!! The charm and importance of living things
　[12 (Final Episode)] Thoughts and daily life of the Business Division staff

(February 28, 2025)