Like many Japanese children, my son is utterly fascinated with the jinbei zame (whale shark). Jinbei is also the name of a patterned pyjama worn in summer, so that’s why the whale shark is named as such.

My family and I visited Kagoshima Aquarium because it houses jinbei zame. We could kinda get up close and personal with it.

Yup, it’s humongous. Let’s look at it again.

Intriguing marine creatures abounded. The waters where they were kept in were a nice sapphire blue, which really accentuated the beauty of these animals.

The highlight of our visit was the dolphin show. Seeing five dolphins leap in the air in unison took my breath away. It was a great demonstration of their agility.

Kagoshima Aquarium also offered a great vantage point from which to admire Sakurajima, an active volcano. We definitely enjoyed our visit and would want to come back again in future.