Sightseers swarm to see seal take it easy
Source: Agencies |
October 20, 2011, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
A SPOTTED seal that swam up a Japanese river and has lived there since early this month is now a Japanese media star, with people flocking to see it as a welcome distraction from stress and bad news.
On any given day, hundreds of spectators pack the banks of the Arakawa river in the city of Shiki, about 30 kilometers north of Tokyo, to catch a glimpse of the seal, nicknamed "Ara-chan" - a combination of the river's name and an affectionate suffix used for children.
"Ara-chan! Please come out so we can see you," shouted two-year-old Sayuki Toyama on Tuesday, shortly before the gray seal heaved itself out of the water to sunbathe on a rock.
Some onlookers crouched on the river's sloping banks to snap pictures, while behind them, trucks from Japanese TV networks rolled into place and cameramen set up their tripods, preparing to broadcast the seal's antics live.
Eastern Japan has been rocked by frequent aftershocks following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. Residents have been overwhelmed with bad news since then, including worries about radiation from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant.
Shiki officials made Ara-chan a citizen of the city on Tuesday in recognition of the seal's growing fame.
"We are presenting the seal with a special residence permit because it has become a close friend to local people," said official Osamu Nakamura.
Seals are an uncommon sight around Tokyo, especially so far upstream from the ocean, but Ara-chan is not the first.
In 2002, a wild bearded seal was spotted in the Tama river near Tokyo. Nicknamed "Tama-chan," the seal set off a similar national frenzy and was also granted citizenship, before eventually swimming away.
On any given day, hundreds of spectators pack the banks of the Arakawa river in the city of Shiki, about 30 kilometers north of Tokyo, to catch a glimpse of the seal, nicknamed "Ara-chan" - a combination of the river's name and an affectionate suffix used for children.
"Ara-chan! Please come out so we can see you," shouted two-year-old Sayuki Toyama on Tuesday, shortly before the gray seal heaved itself out of the water to sunbathe on a rock.
Some onlookers crouched on the river's sloping banks to snap pictures, while behind them, trucks from Japanese TV networks rolled into place and cameramen set up their tripods, preparing to broadcast the seal's antics live.
Eastern Japan has been rocked by frequent aftershocks following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. Residents have been overwhelmed with bad news since then, including worries about radiation from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant.
Shiki officials made Ara-chan a citizen of the city on Tuesday in recognition of the seal's growing fame.
"We are presenting the seal with a special residence permit because it has become a close friend to local people," said official Osamu Nakamura.
Seals are an uncommon sight around Tokyo, especially so far upstream from the ocean, but Ara-chan is not the first.
In 2002, a wild bearded seal was spotted in the Tama river near Tokyo. Nicknamed "Tama-chan," the seal set off a similar national frenzy and was also granted citizenship, before eventually swimming away.
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