Tateyama Bay, in Japan’s Chiba Prefecture, is the meeting place of two very unlikely friends – local diver Hiroyuki Arakawa and an Asian sheepshead wrasse by the name of Yoriko. The pair met 25 years ago and have been visiting each other ever since.
Arakawa has been looking after an underwater Shinto shrine located in Tateyama Bay for over a quarter of a century, also acting as a guide for tourist who want to visit it. During that time, he has become unusually close with a giant friendly fish who comes to greet him whenever he calls. All he has to do is call – by knocking with a hammer on a piece of metal – and the fish shows up. They’ve been friends for 25 years now, and Hiroyuki has even named the fish Yoriko.
Hiroyuki, who runs a local diving shop, has been documenting his friendship with the Asian sheepshead wrasse on Facebook. Yoriko shows up in nearly every photo taken near the Shinto shrine in the diver’s care, and sometimes even poses for the camera. Their relationship has become a tourist attraction in itself, with people asking for diving sessions just to see the two unlikely friends bonding and playing.
They say fish have no feelings, but Hiroyuki Arakawa would tell you otherwise.
Photos: Hiroyuki Arakawa/Facebook
via The Dodo
