THE LONELY SUNFISH

In southern Japan, the Kaikyokan Aquarium in Shimonoseki was closed for renovation a few weeks ago, in December 2024. Not long after, their prize giant sunfish began acting oddly. It stopped eating and began to rub its body against the tank. Staff thought it had developed digestive issues. But then one of the staff members suggested, “Maybe it’s lonely because it misses the visitors?” Workers attached some uniforms to the glass of the tank. The next day, the sunfish’s behavior returned to normal. Since then, the staff has taped clothing to the glass and added cardboard cutout faces so it looks like a crowd around the tank. Also, the live staff has started waving at the sunfish.
* With all the attention, the sunfish thinks it’s a starfish.
* A fish with an ego the size of Hokkaido.
* As long as they don’t hang cutouts of people holding knives and forks.
* Buying a second sunfish for company is too much to ask?