Penguins at the Port of Nagoya
Less than three hours outside of Osaka (and less if you take the Shinkansen), Nagoya is an unassuming city, often overlooked by tourists and Japan residents alike. Defenders of the city will point out the history, the architecture, the scenery.
I, of course, went for the penguins.
My desired destination: The PGcafe, a penguin lover's dream which I had stumbled across on Instagram. Their photo gallery shows wall-to-wall penguins: plush penguins and figurines, penguin artwork on the walls, and best of all, a menu filled with delicious-looking penguin themed food and drinks. I was captivated. I had to visit. I booked my travel. Unfortunately, the cafe was closed for illness on the day I visited. I'll definitely have to plan another trip.
Not to be deterred, I headed to the Port of Nagoya for my penguin fix. Although the aquarium is the obvious destination, I stopped first at the orange ship moored across the way. The Fuji Antarctic Museum is located inside this decommissioned icebreaker, filled with dioramas that show what daily life was like aboard the ship. QR codes on the displays provide information in English.
I hadn't expected to find so many penguins! Promotional material, books, plaques, flags, even ceremonial clothing was decorated with the lovable creatures so many people associate with the south pole.
Finally we visited the Port of Nagoya Aquarium, whose focus seemed to be whales and dolphins. Aside from live dolphin and orca shows, the aquarium also featured impressive fossils and displays showing the evolution of various aquatic animals. I admit that the orca and dolphin enclosures made me uneasy, and when we reached the African penguin exhibit I was a bit dismayed by how small their pool was, but it appears that the enclosure is under construction and I'm hoping that a larger enclosure is in the works.
When we reached the cold weather penguins, I was feeling drained from a long day of travelling, so it was a relief to see a row of benches facing the penguin enclosure. Sitting in the dim light, watching Emperors and Adelies and Gentoos dive and swim and waddle, was the perfect end to my day.
Well, that, and the gift shop. It's hard to resist an aquarium gift shop.
Nagoya might not make the top of anyone's bucket list, but if you find yourself in the area, stop by the Port. If you bring a postcard, you can mail it at the penguin postbox!