Eitoru’s (she/her) grandfather, who was also her mentor in life, taught her about the vast and wonderful world of the sea, including the fish that inhabit the seas around Japan, and she spent her days chasing the wonders in the ocean, even though she lived in Tokyo, a big city far from the coast. She spent her “Juvenile stage” reading through academic fish books, and literally visiting aquariums to investigate the ecology of the species that interested her, as well as sketching them.
In Grades 5 and 6, she visited Japan Agency of Marine-Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) and boarded the exploration vessel YOKOSUKA with students her age to observe deep-sea exploration on the Shinkai 6500, the pride of Japan’s manned research submersible. The lectures and discussions for the future of deep-sea technological innovation made her realize that she would like to play a central role in the future in developing the marine research industry as a field that Japan can be proud of.
During her study abroad experience in Canada, where she was selected as one of the representatives of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, she rediscovered her own culture and focused on the existence of aquariums in Japan, which had always been close to her, and the need for more ocean education for children like herself who live relatively far from the sea and have difficulty in becoming familiar with the ocean. She asks herself and others the question of what Japanese aquariums can do for marine environmental education for children, and continues to use her English, communication, and design skills to the fullest as she conducts research and writes her dissertation.
Japanese aquariums are not only educational and research institutions, but also one of Japanese major entertainment industries. She has visited most of the aquariums in Japan, except those in Hokkaido and Kyushu, and have documented the features and focal points of each aquarium in terms of exhibits, keeper and staff talks, backyard tours, and merchandise for sale. In the past few years, she has continued her research in aquariums located overseas, such as Canada and Australia, and she enjoys her fieldwork activities in aquariums, being healed and energized by the diverse and very wonderful creatures that are unique to the region.
She’s also willing to conceptualize and illustrate her own characters for the organization of World Ocean Day, which she believes will be useful in the production of commentaries that will help children, and even adults, understand topics such as marine conservation activities in an easy-to-understand and fun way through publicity activities on social networking sites and websites.
Based on her half-life realization that globalization of marine issues will be a further challenge, she hopes to be the first in the world to enthusiastically promote Japan’s rich maritime culture and technological capabilities by performing her art and design/communication skills and her love for our blue planet.