Where are the most popular facilities for the “View on your smartphone campaign”? ? Part① “〇〇〇No. 1 in Japan!” This is the only place where you can meet “those” creatures! Furthermore, what are the spots you should visit before visiting IseJingu?

The most popular "tourist facility" among Mie Travel hospitality facilities is "TobaAquarium"! This is Mie Prefecture's leading tourist facility, where approximately 1,200 types of sea and river creatures are bred, making it the largest in Japan! The 4-story building is divided into 12 zones, A to L, each designed to suit the environment in which the creatures live. One of its features is that it is fully barrier-free. Go inside the building immediately!

 

Log in by scanning the QR code for the ``Smartphone View Campaign'' located at the information counter. Stamp and scratch! Get 3 points with Yoshi! . Then, if you answer the questionnaire and show it to the staff, you will receive an ``original wallpaper image for your smartphone'' as a ``hospitality service''.

I look forward to seeing what kind of images you get! It was so cute that I immediately set it as my wallpaper.

 

[Mie Travel Hospitality Facility Hospitality Service]

Service details: Original wallpaper image gift for smartphones

Service provision conditions: Valid only once per person when presenting the information screen on a tablet, etc.

I will tell you more about the charm of TobaAquarium 's creatures later, but TobaAquarium is implementing various initiatives so that everyone can visit the facility safely and comfortably! First, let me introduce it.

In the entrance hall, there is a corner where strollers and senior cars can be rented out free of charge, and wheelchairs are also available for rent.

*Rental fee is free. Quantities are limited. First come first served. Reservations not accepted.

There is a gentle slope at the entrance to Restaurant Hanasango on the same floor.

There is also a ``baby room'' where you can breastfeed your baby or change diapers, so it's no wonder it's so popular. There are 3 private nursing rooms and 2 diaper changing beds. In addition, diaper changing tables are installed in restrooms throughout the facility, and there are a total of 7 in addition to the baby room. Most restrooms are also equipped with baby chairs.

``There are ramps and elevators throughout the museum, so you can visit almost all corners with a wheelchair or stroller,'' says a staff member in charge of public relations. ``We have been working on barrier-free initiatives for many years, and winning the ``Omotenashi Grand Prix,'' which was attended by so many people, was a gratifying event.'' With this kind of consideration, you can enjoy your visit with peace of mind, even if you are a family of 3 generations!

TobaAquarium is a free route, so you can see it from any direction! From here, we will introduce all the attractions of the corners that interest you.

“Kingdom of Sea Mammals”, which was completely renewed in 2018, is a must-see! To represent the natural appearance of sea lions and seals, the pool is covered with realistic rocks to recreate the Chilean coast where pinnipeds live. When you step inside the world's first transparent water tube, you'll see seals swimming around your feet, and during feeding times (10:30am and 3:00pm) sea lions will dive for you, so it's really impressive!

"Coral Reef Diving" gives you the feeling of immersing yourself in the sea of brightly colored coral reefs.

The ``all-glass viewing gallery'' here is also the first in the world! A chance to take photos of colorful tropical fish, sea turtles swimming at their own pace, and other creatures that will look great on social media. You'll lose track of time and watch it for a long time.

The biggest highlight has finally arrived. "Sea of mermaids"!

This is a "dugong" which is also said to be the model of the mermaid legend! The only place in Japan where you can see it is TobaAquarium. I am simply mesmerized by the way they swim slowly. If you visit the aquarium right after it opens, you will be able to see it clearly because the tank is not clouded by food.

``Polar Sea'' is a space where you can get a glimpse of the lifestyle of animals living in an extremely cold world. Mei, the sea otter, eats 20-30% of her body weight in food to protect herself from the cold and does not groom herself. During meal times three times a day (9:40~, 13:00~, 16:20~), they perform a variety of tricks!

"Walrus Petting Time" was held at the "Water Corridor" (from 11:00 a.m. and from 2:00 p.m.). The interaction with the trainer was outstanding, and the venue was filled with laughter!

Comments from those who visited include, ``It's such a nice place and I want to come back again!'' ``I'm always soothed by the animals ❤'' ``I had so much fun that I spent the whole day instead of half a day. I especially enjoyed the walruses!'' has been received.

The public relations staff recommends the often overlooked "Marine Gallery." The most eye-catching exhibits are the whole-body skeleton of a dugong, which is rare in the world, and the skeleton of an African manatee, a member of the sea cow family (the dugong pictured). I couldn't help but marvel at the unique features that can only be found in bones.

 

I spent a lot of time stimulating my intellectual curiosity about living things, and I was able to enjoy the spacious grounds with a sense of adventure!

 

Next, we visited Geku mae Tourist Information Center, which is the most popular of the Mie Travel Information Centers. With its excellent services, it is a spot you definitely want to stop by before visiting Geku!

We received comments such as ``Thank you for guiding us so carefully!'' from those who visited. It is easily accessible, about 5 minutes walk from JR/Kintetsu IseCity Station, and just across the street from the entrance of IseJingu Geku.

Near the entrance is a sticker that will only be given to facilities that win the Hospitality Grand Prix! The cute illustration is a collaboration with the popular character "Perochi" drawn by Pantobisco (multi-creator), an influencer with 770,000 followers on SNS.

Inside the facility, there are many tourist pamphlets for the Ise-Shima area. There are also foreign language versions such as English, Chinese, Korean, and German, which is unique to IseCity, which has a large number of inbound tourists.

Mr. Tani, from IseCity Tourism Association Secretariat, said, ``We have strived to provide services that allow people to enjoy sightseeing in this area, centering on Geku, without any inconvenience, so we have opened the Mie Travel Information Center, which is visited by many people. The fact that Geku mae Tourist Information Center was the most popular is encouraging for the future! ” he says.

In addition to providing tourist information and consultation, we also provide a baggage storage service (available from 8:30am to 4:30pm / storage fee: 300 yen), so you can enjoy visiting Geku and touring the city empty-handed.

The "rent-a-cycle" service (rental time: 8:30-17:00, rental cost: from 800 yen for 4 hours), where you can rent a standard city bicycle and an electric-assist bicycle, is also very popular. Many people use them to get from Geku to Naiku, which is difficult to reach on foot, and they are the perfect tool to enjoy the "scenery of IseCity," which is often missed by cars and buses!

After completing the procedures for renting a bicycle, the staff member carefully explained how to get to Naiku, using a city map and marking the route with a pen. I'm also happy to be able to learn information that I can't find on the internet!

Log in by scanning the QR code for the ``Smartphone View Campaign'' located at the information desk counter. I got a stamp and did a scratch! Get 2 points at Nakayoshi!

"Mie Travel Information Center" does not offer hospitality services such as gifts or discounts, and you only collect points, but if you collect these points, you can enter a lottery to win luxury prizes such as pair accommodation tickets!

Since I had accumulated 5 points, I immediately entered the lottery. I hope you win some great prizes.

 

[Mie Travel Hospitality Facility Hospitality Service]

You can only collect points.

 

The two facilities we visited this time are must-see spots when visiting the Ise-Shima area. We also recommend using this as your starting point and enjoying your trip to Ise-Shima using the ``View on Smartphone Campaign''!