Tuesday, September 2, 2025
- 1 Huge cheers! Hokuryu Town presents "Sunflower Watermelon" to the hippopotamus at Asahiyama Zoo
- 2 Presentation Ceremony: Words of gratitude and smiles exchanged
- 3 The hippopotamus loves watermelon and is having a hearty munch time!
- 4 A rare opportunity to see the hippopotamus house's backstage area!
- 5 Want to know more? Trivia about hippos
- 6 Thank you for a wonderful day full of smiles
- 7 Youtube Video
- 8 More Photos
- 9 Related Articles
Huge cheers! Hokuryu Town presents "Sunflower Watermelon" to the hippopotamus at Asahiyama Zoo
On Wednesday, August 27th, just before closing time at Asahiyama Zoo at around 4pm, the Hokuryu Town Sunflower Watermelon Producers Association presented a sunflower watermelon to the hippos at Asahiyama Zoo.
After the sunflower watermelon presentation ceremony, the children and their families were given a tour of the Hippopotamus House backstage area, with an explanation from Deputy Director Nakata Shinichi.
Participants
Participants from Hokuryu Town included Mayor Sasaki Yasuhiro, Hokuryu Sunflower and Watermelon Producers Association Chairman Takada Akimitsu, staff from the Town Future Strategy Division, JA Kitasorachi Fruit and Vegetable Department's Fujikawa Yuya, and families of children from Hokuryu Town Wa Nursery School.
From Asahiyama Zoo, we were welcomed by the 10th Director, Director Tetsuya Tamura, Deputy Director Shinichi Nakata, and the zookeepers.
The setting is the "Giraffe House & Hippo House"
The Hippo House at Asahiyama Zoo is located just outside the west gate and was completed in 2013.
It is connected to the neighboring Giraffe House underground.
There are both indoor and outdoor enclosures, and the indoor enclosure has a pool that is approximately 3m deep, allowing you to observe the hippos' movements underwater from all angles.
Presentation Ceremony: Words of gratitude and smiles exchanged
Greetings from Mayor Yasuhiro Sasaki
"Today it rained on and off, and we were very worried about the weather, but the weather has cleared up by this time, and the sunshine is a treat for everyone, and I think being able to see the hippos is also a treat for everyone.
Producers produce delicious sunflower watermelons and deliver them all over Japan.
The Sunflower Festival has ended, but the sunflowers of Hokuryu Town have brought smiles to people all over Japan.
When I told Director Tamura about the sunflower watermelon, he accepted today's plan.
We would also like to thank Mr. Takada, the union president, for all his hard work.
We hope that this event will not end with the first session, but will continue in the future, bringing smiles to the children's faces.
Thank you for everything. I look forward to working with you in the future," said Mayor Sasaki.
Greetings from Mr. Akimitsu Takada, Chairman of the Association
"We grow sunflower watermelons as a specialty product of Hokuryu Town.
I love animals, and since it's hot out, I wanted the animals to eat watermelon too.
We took the matter to the town hall, and Mayor Sasaki acted as a pipeline, which has brought us to this day.
This will not end in one year, and I would like to continue it at least as long as I am healthy. Thank you for today," said Takada.
Greetings from Director Tetsuya Tamura
"Hello everyone! Thank you for visiting Asahiyama Zoo.
Now that I've held the watermelon, I realize how heavy it is!
The delicious, packed-in sunflower watermelon is a local specialty, so I think Hippo will be pleased.
Today, children from Hokuryu Town will be visiting us to watch the hippos eat watermelon, and later they will have the opportunity to see the hippos' sleeping area in the back yard.
"I hope that this will be an opportunity for people to learn about and become interested in hippos, what kind of animals hippos are, and to become interested in nature. Thank you very much for coming today," said Director Tamura.
Commemorative photo with the children and their families
The hippopotamus loves watermelon and is having a hearty munch time!
Deputy Director Nakata puts the sunflower watermelon into the hippo's big mouth!
The hippo opened his mouth wide and took a big bite of the watermelon, whole! With a crunching sound, the watermelon broke into pieces in an instant, and he munched away!!!
The hippo narrowed his eyes and enjoyed the food with a savory look on his face, but then he opened his mouth wide again and begged for more!
"Is this watermelon delicious?" asked Vice Director Nakata as he put the second watermelon into his mouth.
The kindergarten children watched with smiles on their faces as they watched the hippo eat with gusto and gusto, exclaiming, "Wow, that's amazing!"
It was a moment of happiness filled with smiles for the whole family! We are truly grateful for this touching and heartwarming moment!
A rare opportunity to see the hippopotamus house's backstage area!
It was a valuable opportunity to learn many things about hippos, including their sleeping areas, the grass they eat, their behavior underwater, and what it's like to interact with them, all through Deputy Director Nakata's talk.
Want to know more? Trivia about hippos
- Hippopotamus family:
Momokichi (father, 14 years old), Asahiko (mother, 13 years old), and Nagiko (daughter, 5 years old) are all spoiled children. - Momojiri:
He wags his tail from side to side and "scatters feces" by peeing and pooping! Be careful when Momokichi turns his back to you! - Blood Sweat:
Hippopotamuses have no sweat pores in their skin, so they tend to dry out easily. They secrete a red mucus called "blood sweat" to protect their skin from ultraviolet rays and bacteria. - Amount of food:
A hippo eats about 40 kg of grass per day. - Dive time:
Hippos only dive for about 5 minutes.
Thank you for a wonderful day full of smiles
Everything ended safely and we dispersed on site.
Hippo, who loves watermelon, relished the delicious "Sunflower Watermelon" lovingly grown by the producers of Hokuryu Town, and enjoyed eating it. It was a blissful, happy time filled with smiles and boundless love, gratitude, and prayers!!!
Youtube Video
More Photos
Related Articles
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◇ ◇ 🖋️ Content planning, article writing, photo selection, and video creation: Ikuko Terauchi
Photography, editing, and website management: Noboru Terauchi 
