Penguin chicks are growing well at the urban aquarium "AOAO SAPPORO"! The second "Happy Happy Penguin" event will be held

~ We will be holding a stuffed animal lottery campaign that will double your chances of winning first and second prizes, as well as a name submission campaign ~

Sapporo Tanukikoji's urban aquarium "AOAO SAPPORO" (location: Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido; Director: Masao Yamauchi) will be holding the second installment of the "Happy Happy Penguin" event, where visitors can watch the growth of penguin chicks together, from Monday, May 20, 2024. We are pleased to announce that.

[The Hina dolls on April 7th (left) and May 16th (right)]

At "AOAO SAPPORO", a fairy penguin chick was born on Sunday, April 7, 2024, and is currently growing well in the back yard. At this event, in order to let more people know about the chick's growth, a panel "Happy Happy Chick Growth Diary" will be exhibited, introducing the chick's growth process from birth to now, as well as the "Happy Happy Tree" exhibition, which will create a large tree by collecting messages of support for the chick that grow up day by day. In addition, from Saturday, June 1, 2024, we will also be accepting names for the chick at the museum and moyuk SAPPORO.

During the event, there will be a campaign to double the chances of winning first and second prize in the "HAPPY PENGUIN" stuffed animal lottery, and we will also be selling the "Penguin Lucky Charm Fairy Penguin Ver.", a key chain made from the fairy penguin's wing, and the limited edition sweet "Happy Penguin Parfait 2024."

We hope you will enjoy, experience, and support the growth of the penguin chicks born at AOAO SAPPORO together with the AOAO SAPPORO staff.

About the Exhibition

In order to allow many customers to learn about the developmental process of fairy penguin chicks, three exhibits themed on fairy penguin chicks will be held in the GREEN ROOM on the 6th floor of AOAO SAPPORO.

1 Happy Happy Chick Growth Diary

Panels will be on display explaining the development of the chicks from their birth to the present, along with records of changes in weight, food, etc. You can see the daily changes in the chicks' condition and the records of the biology staff who care for them.

Exhibition period: Friday, May 24th – Sunday, June 30th, 2024

Exhibition location: AOAO SAPPORO, 6F "GREEN ROOM"

[We will continue to update the process of the chicks turning into adults]

The chicks weighed 33g at birth, but by the time they were 39 days old, they had grown to about 23 times their original weight. You can watch the video to see the rapid growth of the chicks and their current condition.

Exhibition period: Monday, May 20th, 2024 – Sunday, June 30th, 2024

Exhibition location: AOAO SAPPORO, 6F "GREEN ROOM"

3 Happy Happy Tree

This interactive exhibit will involve participants writing messages of encouragement for the rapidly growing fairy penguin chicks on leaf-shaped stickers and pasting them on the ground to create a large "Happy Happy Tree."

Exhibition period: Monday, May 20th, 2024 – Sunday, June 30th, 2024

Exhibition location: AOAO SAPPORO, 6F "GREEN ROOM"

Participation fee: Free *Separate admission fee required

About the experience program "Name collection"

Starting Saturday, June 1, 2024, we will be accepting suggestions for names for the fairy penguin chicks at the AOAO SAPPORO facility and moyuk SAPPORO. At AOAO SAPPORO, the fairy penguins are also known as blue penguins, and the nickname was chosen to evoke the color blue, in keeping with the name of the AOAO SAPPORO facility. The biology staff will select and decide on the nickname from the suggestions submitted.

Recruitment begins: Saturday, June 1, 2024

Recruitment location: AOAO SAPPORO, moyuk SAPPORO

How to apply: Please fill out the application form available at the recruitment location listed above and submit it.

*Details will be announced on the official website and social media by Saturday, June 1st.

About the special experience program "Happy Happy Talk"

To coincide with the addition of the "Happy Happy Penguin" content, a special experience program will be held by AOAO SAPPORO's biology staff.

[Image of the special experience program]

Dates: Friday, May 24th and Saturday, May 25th

Friday, June 7th and Saturday, June 8th

Time: 15:00~ *Each program is about 20 minutes long

Location: AOAO SAPPORO, 6F "GREEN ROOM"

Fee: Free *Separate admission fee required

Content: Together with the biological staff who are usually in charge of the fairy penguins, we will talk about the ecology of fairy penguins and the growth of the fairy penguins and chicks living at AOAO SAPPORO.

About merchandise

To celebrate the birth of the Fairy Penguin chicks, the Museum Shop will be running a campaign to double the odds of winning first and second prizes in the "HAPPY PENGUIN" stuffed animal lottery, which has been the top-selling item at the Museum Shop since it opened. In addition, following on from the Northern Rockhopper Penguin, staff will be collecting the feathers of the Fairy Penguins, which are shed once a year, and turning them into key chains, called "Penguin Lucky Charm Fairy Penguin Ver.", will be released.

Product name: Celebrating the birth of Hina dolls! Plush toy lottery "HAPPY PENGUIN" 1st and 2nd prize winning probability doubled campaign

Event period: May 20th (Mon) – June 30th (Sun), 2024

Location: AOAO SAPPORO, 6F "GREEN ROOM"

4F "Museum Shop"

Sales price: ¥1,500 (tax included)

Product name: Penguin Lucky Charm Fairy Penguin Ver.

Location: AOAO SAPPORO, 4th floor "Museum Shop"

Sales price: ¥777 (tax included)

*Product sales may end once sold out.

* Chick feathers are not used.

Food and Drink

Shirokuma Bakery & will be selling the "Happy Penguin Parfait 2024" to celebrate the birth of the fairy penguin chicks.

Sales period: Monday, May 20, 2024 to Wednesday, July 31, 2024

Sales location: "AOAO SAPPORO" 6F "Shirokuma Bakery &"

Product name: Happy Penguin Parfait 2024

Sales price: ¥470 (tax included)

Product details: A refreshing parfait made with blue jelly and smooth rare cheese, inspired by the fairy penguin's bluish-grey body color. The egg-shaped cup is inspired by the image of a penguin hatching from an egg.

Product name: Happy Penguin Parfait 2024 + Penguin Lucky Charm Fairy Penguin Ver. (set)

Sales price: ¥1,200 (tax included)

Sales quantity: Limited to 100 sets during the period *Ends when sold out

Product Details: This great value set includes the "Happy Penguin Parfait 2024" and "Penguin Lucky Charm Fairy Penguin Ver.".

* The "Happy Penguin Parfait 2024" will end as soon as the ingredients for that day run out.

*Shirokuma Bakery official website:https://shirokuma-bakery.com/

About "Fairy Penguin" chicks

Spawning date: Friday, March 1, 2024

Hatching date: Sunday, April 7, 2024

Hatching period: 37 days

Birth weight: 33g

Current weight: 774g (gained 741g since birth)

Gender: Unknown

Parent information: Father Nickname: Sora (band color: peach)

Mother Nickname: "Aqua" (band color: orange)

[The chicks on April 8th (the day after they were born)]

About "Fairy Penguin"

The mother of the newly born chick is "Aqua"

Species name: Fairy penguin

Scientific name: Eudyptula minor

English name: Fairy Penguin

They are the smallest penguin in the world, living in southern Australia and New Zealand, with a body length of 30-40cm and a weight of 1kg. They are characterized by their bluish-grey body color. The fairy penguins living at the aquarium are each given a nickname related to the color blue.

*The "Fairy Penguins" on display at AOAO SAPPORO are on breeding loan from Kasai Rinkai Aquarium (4 males, 2 females, a total of 6 penguins).

About Kasai Rinkai Aquarium

Located in Kasai Rinkai Park, this aquarium allows visitors to encounter over 600 species of marine life from around the world, as well as local aquatic environments. The large glass dome, 30.7 meters above ground, is an eye-catching feature.

Inside the aquarium, you can see schools of bluefin tuna swimming in a gigantic 2,200-ton doughnut-shaped aquarium, and penguins swimming around in one of Japan's largest penguin exhibits.

Address: 6-2-3 Rinkaicho, Edogawa-ku, Tokyo

Opening hours: 9:30-17:00 *Last admission is at 16:00

Closed: Wednesdays (if Wednesday is a national holiday, substitute holiday, or Tokyo Citizens' Day, the following day will be closed), New Year's holiday (December 29th to January 1st of the following year)

*Website: https://www.tokyo-zoo.net/zoo/kasai/

*Please check the official website for the latest exhibition information.

AOAO SAPPORO/Facility Overview

The name "AOAO SAPPORO" comes from the word "aoao," which means "green," and expresses the vibrant and thriving nature of life. It succinctly encapsulates our desire to create a place where visitors can encounter the abundant life of marine and aquatic creatures, even while located inside a building in the city of Sapporo. Our logo expresses our desire to create a place where visitors can carefully learn about and observe the mysteries of the lives of vibrant creatures, one by one, and where their curiosity and awe for the world of the sea and water is aroused one after another.

Opening date: Thursday, July 20, 2023

Location: 4F-6F moyuk SAPPORO, 20 Minami 2-jo Nishi 3-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo

Access: 3 minutes walk from Odori Station on the Sapporo Municipal Subway Namboku Line, Tozai Line, and Toho Line.

1 minute walk from Sapporo City Tram "Tanukikoji" stop

Total floor area: Approximately 5,100 m2 (including back yard)

Total number of exhibited creatures: 250 species, 4,000 specimens

Business hours: 10:00-22:00 (last entry 21:00) *May change depending on the season

Closing days: Open all year round

*The facility may be closed temporarily for maintenance, etc.

Fee :

*Prices include tax. *Admission fees are subject to change. *Admission fees vary depending on the season.

*Admission fees are half price for persons with disabilities and one accompanying person.