マダコがビンのフタを開けた

Last December. I wrote a post about Japan’s “Eco” movement that mentioned a X-mas tree powered by an electric eel at the 江ノ島水族館 (Enoshima Aquarium) near Tokyo.

(Click here to read that post).

The 江ノ島水族館 (Enoshima Aquarium) has a YouTube page.

Well, scientists have said that the 「マダコ」 (“Common Octopus”) is intelligent.
If it’s put into a jar and the lid is then screwed shut, the octopus will watch and learn how the top was closed…and then it will reverse the process from inside the jar to open it and free itself.

The 江ノ島水族館 (Enoshima Aquarium) demonstrated this and put a video of it on their YouTube page.

Here’s the video:

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I’ve never been much of a Michael Jackson fan, but if you are…and you’re in Tokyo, the Tokyo Tower is having a special exclusive event since last month until July 11th titled “Michael Jackson – the official Lifetime collection“.

If you want to see Michael Jackson’s personal possessions, including his Rolls-Royce car and many other items, you should go to the Tokyo Tower by July 11th between the hours of 9:00AM – 10:00PM.

Admission is ¥2,000 for adults, ¥1,800 for high school and college students, and ¥1,500 for children between age 3 and junior high age. (Under 3 is free).

Last Friday was the one-year anniversary of Michael Jackson’s death.
To commemorate, Tokyo Tower allowed fifty die-hard fans who were willing to pay ¥100,000 (about US$1,000) to spend the night in the exhibit room surrounded by the collection of Michael Jackson’s possessions!
Supposedly, these fans were touched emotionally by the experience and felt the money was well spent.

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Also, this year is the 60th anniversary of the popular Japanese toy store chain “Kiddyland“.
So Kiddyland has decided it’s time to renovate their large multi-storied shop in 表参道 (Omotensando, Tokyo).

So on 2010 August 31, the current store will close for the renovations and a temporary shop will be opened on 2010 September 1st not far from the current location.

A map showing how to get from the current Kiddyland location to the temporary one (which will be above "Snoopy Town")

The new renovated Kiddyland will reopen in the summer of 2012 at it’s current location.

Here’s an artist’s rendition of the new store:

Nonapus

A researcher at an 水族館 (Aquarium) in 和歌山県 (Wakayama Prefecture, Japan) recently found a nonapus (nine-legged octopus).

It seems that octopuses* grow a new limb when one is cut off and sometimes an extra limb grows when the octopus is cut but no limb has come off…resulting in octopuses* with extra limbs.

(*I always thought that octopi was the plural for octopus. I never liked that uncommon term, and was pleased to read (here) that “octopuses” is acceptable, too).

The octopus that was discovered with the most limbs ever was also found in Japan. An octopus was found in 三重県 (Mie Prefecture, Japan) sometime ago with 96 legs:

That’s creepy looking.

By the way, do you like to eat octopus? I love たこ焼き (Takoyaki; grilled octopus dumplings). Have you ever tried it?

都民の日

Today is 都民の日 (Tokyo Citizens Day).
All of the prefectures in Japan have Citizens Day at different times of the year…for Tokyo, it’s on October 1.

On this day, public schools are closed and many zoos and aquariums in Tokyo offer free admission.
(These places usually offer free admission three times a year…on 都民の日 (Tokyo Citizens Day), 緑の日 (Greenery Day (May 4)), and the anniversary of the opening of the establishment.

For example, 上野動物園 (Ueno Zoo) is open to the public for free on October 1 (都民の日 (Tokyo Citizens Day)), May 4 (緑の日 (Greenery Day)), and on March 20 (the anniversary of the zoo’s opening on March 20, 1882).

So, my daughters have the day off today (I have to go to work). My wife and kids decided to go to 上野動物園 (Ueno Zoo) today.

It’s gonna be crowded, I’m sure! A couple of years ago, we took the kids to 上野動物園 (Ueno Zoo) on 都民の日 (Tokyo Citizens Day).
And it was nice to get in for free…but it was really crowded.

Actually, when we go to 上野動物園 (Ueno Zoo), we normally only have to pay admission for my wife and I because children aged 12 and under are always free, and so are Junior High School students who live and/or go to school in Tokyo.
We live in Tokyo and my kids go to the Junior High School nearest our house.

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Anyways, our 甲虫 (Rhinoceros Beetle) that I mentioned in this post died today 😦

R.I.P. カブちゃん!