‘Aquarium on Ice,’ a lure for skaters in Japan, appalls them instead
TOKYO >> The Japanese are known around the world for turning fish into centerpieces of culinary art. But an amusement park’s recent effort to pair frozen fish and ice-skating proved less enduring.
Two weeks ago, Space World, on the southwestern Japanese island of Kyushu, opened an ice-skating rink that featured about 5,000 fish and other sea creatures frozen beneath the surface.
It was hard to quibble with the park for calling the rink “an unprecedented attraction.”
Yet rather than attracting more visitors, the “Aquarium on Ice” ended up alienating them. A public furor broke out on social media, with many accusing the amusement park of cruelty to animals.
“Why do they do such a thing of bad taste?” one commenter wrote on Facebook. “Playing on the dead fish in the ice is nothing but insanity,” wrote another. “Isn’t it a desecration of lives?”
On Sunday, Space World apologized on its website, saying it would close the rink until further notice.
“We seriously take to heart a lot of various opinions, such as ‘you shouldn’t use these creatures in entertainments or events,’ or ‘poor fish,’” the announcement on the home page read. “We deeply apologize to all who had unpleasant feelings about the ice aquarium.”
In an interview with NHK, the Japanese public broadcaster, Toshimi Takeda, general manager of Space World, said, “We thought that we could provide an opportunity for visitors to enjoy ice skating while learning about various kinds of fish.”
“We regret this terribly,” he added.
NHK reported that the park would melt the rink to remove the fish and planned to hold a memorial service for them. It may also use the dead sea creatures as fertilizer.
According to the Japanese media, the fish, crabs and other shellfish were already dead when the amusement park bought them at a wholesale market. The park also placed photographs of larger fish, like whale sharks, under the ice.
Not all visitors were appalled by the exhibit.
“What’s the difference between skating over the beautifully decorated rink with fish in the ice that are already dead and will only be thrown away, and visiting a museum to look at already dead dinosaurs, also beautifully decorated?” Oshita Ayano posted on Facebook. “I’m looking forward to the next plan.”
9 responses to “‘Aquarium on Ice,’ a lure for skaters in Japan, appalls them instead”
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Ikizukuri! Japanese even have a name for preparing live fish to eat raw. Can’t believe that they are appalled at the rink idea when they have no qualms about slicing open a fish while it’s still flapping?
Well, that is how fish are eaten in the wild – eaten while still alive. But for the ice rink, maybe it was more an issue of wasting food, assuming the fish were otherwise edible.
Yes…”in the wild.” But they do this in high-end restaurants as a sort of “entertainment.” Just like the ice rink.
You seriously don’t recognize a difference between a restaurant and and ice rink?
At least there will be no waste; after thawing, the creatures are planned to end up as fertilizer.
Or maybe on someones plate! LOL
After all, don’t all the fish at Tokoy’s Tsukiji Fish Market come frozen?
This is from a country that annually traps and slaughters hundreds of porpoises. The carnage turns the sea bloody and yet you don’t hear Japan’s outcry against this barbaric act. They also prepare sashimi using fish and frogs that are still breathing. How barbaric is that?
How is this any worse than sport fishermen who drag fish out of the water with hooks? Or hunters who shoot game? For that matter, farms that raise and murder animals? Just sayin’.
Well, the country itself may not cry out against the practice but there are plenty of Japanese people who do. You’re not hearing it because you’re not listening for it. You can’t treat the citizenry of an entire country as though it is a substance with prescribed characteristics.
As far as your fish and frogs… Think about what’s involved in fishing – any fishing. As kimo suggested do you think there are more or less humane ways of harvesting and eating a fish?