Learn about the strange fate of the "miracle fish"
As someone who fishes in rivers and lakes, I often visit aquariums that exhibit freshwater fish as a place to learn about the rivers I actually fish in and the fish that live there, as if I were "checking the answers." I like the fact that you can see the fish swimming from the side, see the bottom of the water recreated, and observe the environment in which the fish that live in that river live.
Two interesting places to visit were the Lake Tazawa Kunimasu Future Museum in Akita Prefecture and the Kunimasu Exhibition Hall in Yamanashi Prefecture. The Kunimasu was the only species in the world endemic to Lake Tazawa, but became extinct in 1940 when highly acidic rivers were allowed to flow into the lake for irrigation and hydroelectric power generation.
However, in 2010, it was discovered that eggs that had been transplanted into Lake Saiko in Yamanashi Prefecture had grown and were still viable. At both museums, you can see the kunimasu, known as the "miracle fish," but you can also learn about its history, which has been influenced by human convenience. I think it's important that these facilities give us an opportunity to think about how to protect the river environment, which is deeply connected to people's lives.
