This Japanese Diver Has Been Visiting His Best Friend Fish For 25 Years Now
One Japanese diver has been best friends with the same Asian sheepshead wrasse fish for over 25 years—and this isn’t a fairytale, guys. This friendship with an animal is real.
Hiroyuki Arakawa has been entrusted with overseeing one of the Shinto religion’s shrines called torii, located beneath the surface of Japan’s Tateyama Bay. Over the decades, he got to know marine creatures and sea fishes who live around the shrine, and, most importantly, became buddies with a friendly Asian sheepshead wrasse named Yoriko, aka Yoriko fish.
Their beautiful relationship was captured in a viral video, in which we see Arakawa’s custom of greeting the fish with a big head with a kiss.
Credits: Youtube
One scientific study showed that fish can recognize human faces—and that’s a big deal. “Scientists presented the fish with two images of human faces and trained them to choose one by spitting their jets at that picture,” Dr. Cait Newport from Oxford University told CNN.
“The researchers decided to make things a little harder. They took the pictures and made them black and white and evened out the head shapes. You’d think that would throw the fish for a loop. But no, they were able to pick the familiar face even then—and with more accuracy: 86%!”
This new evidence makes the diver and this animal’s friendship even more inspiring and legit.
More info: Facebook (h/t: atlasobscura)
This is Japanese diver Hiroyuki Arakawa and his buddy of 25 years, Yoriko fish
Image credits: Youtube
Their first encounter was when Arakawa got entrusted to look after an underwater Shinto shrine
Image credits: Inhabitat
Over the decades, their friendship only grew stronger, and this is something all of us can learn
Image credits: Youtube
Facts About the Asian Sheepshead Wrasse
The Asian sheepshead wrasse, known as kobudai in Japan, or just the fish with the big forehead, is a large wrasse species—popular for its sweet, shellfish-like taste. It’s native to the western Pacific and is mostly found around the Korean Peninsula, China, Japan, and the Ogasawara Islands. Its color-switching and sex-changing abilities as it grows older make it quite unique. Still, we’ve got a few more facts about the fish with a bulbous head that might surprise you!
- It can reach 39 in (100 cm) in length and weigh up to 32 lb (14.7 kg).
- As a hermaphroditic species, this fish has both male and female organs.
- Every Asian sheepshead wrasse is born a female but later changes to male.
- Males are territorial with other fish to control harems of females.
- This friendly fish is a typical omnivore. It eats mostly aquatic crustaceans, blue crab, oysters, shellfish, small fish, and zooplankton.
- The lifespan of a fish with a big forehead is around 20 years.
- The Asian sheepshead is among the largest wrasse species.
- This fish is known for its distinctive pinkish-gray color and notable swelling-like protrusions on both the ‘forehead’ and ‘chin.’
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That's amazing! I never knew fish were smart enough to have relationships with other humans!
You would be surprised at the intelligence of some fish simple betta fish will learn tricks like following lasers and jumping through hoops for snacks recognize up to 10 faces understand environment changes(smaller tank then used to or no decorations makes it very sad) recognize 10 faces and 100 words. Please people start treating your Betta fish better stop with the small cubes and no decorations it's extremely abusive like being in a jail cell for you nothing to look at and everything to disappoint you.
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hey fish are NOT stupid...neither are sheep like 'People ' say they are...I think humans are a little to high on their horse and don't give God's creatures enough credit!!!
Love how he takes off his mask and regulator to kiss the fish on it's terms. Lesson for all of us. Arigato Arakawa-san!
My sister's gold fish would ignore us when we came into the house but when my sister came home it would jump and flap its tail at the surface to attract her attention and then cuddle up to the glass of the tank so she could "pet" it!
I've swam with Mr. Arakawa and Yoriko a couple times... 20150314-H...86090a.jpg 
The fish may look strange, but his heart is special. This is wonderful, that such a strange fish can love a human. The would is amazing <3
Beautiful, to be privileged to swim with and touch this beautiful fish is a gift from god 🐟 ❤
Well done young man, I hope your friendship continues for many many years to come.
There is a severe misunderstanding and underestimation of ray-finned fish and cartilaginous fish intelligence. Amphibian and non-avian reptiles too. They are sentient beings with impeccable memory, physiology and processing abilities, some which surpass ours. There's no such thing as an intelligence "scale", there is only a spectrum.
ANOTHER REASON everyone should be VEGAN.... Stop acting like you're better or more deserving of life.
Normally I don't like wrasse kissers but in this case I'll make an exception.
This just made me re-think my consumption of fish on all levels. Wow. What a beautiful creature and a wonderful man. Love everything about this.
God, Elizabeth how do you post such good stuff? I swear you post the best bored panda stuff!
Heartwarming. So does he still eat fish? Is there any animal that doesn't like to be petted & play?
I hope he doesn't eat animals now that he knows how amazing they are xxxxx
Admiro envidiablemente a las personas que ayudan, protegen a los Seres más hermosos del Planeta , FELICITACIONES MUNDIALES POR DOCENAS 13096173_2...92ded3.jpg 
Isnt there some video or saying about how humans love and feel and think their animals feel the same when its actually all in their head. What makes this guy or anyone think that this fish cares or anything for this guy. Fish follow our fingers on aquariums, how do we not know this fish is doing nothing but swimming towards something interesting lol. Just saying
Wonderful relationship. However, that is one of the ugliest fish I've ever seen. Gives me the shivers!
That's amazing! I never knew fish were smart enough to have relationships with other humans!
You would be surprised at the intelligence of some fish simple betta fish will learn tricks like following lasers and jumping through hoops for snacks recognize up to 10 faces understand environment changes(smaller tank then used to or no decorations makes it very sad) recognize 10 faces and 100 words. Please people start treating your Betta fish better stop with the small cubes and no decorations it's extremely abusive like being in a jail cell for you nothing to look at and everything to disappoint you.
Load More Replies... hey fish are NOT stupid...neither are sheep like 'People ' say they are...I think humans are a little to high on their horse and don't give God's creatures enough credit!!!
Love how he takes off his mask and regulator to kiss the fish on it's terms. Lesson for all of us. Arigato Arakawa-san!
My sister's gold fish would ignore us when we came into the house but when my sister came home it would jump and flap its tail at the surface to attract her attention and then cuddle up to the glass of the tank so she could "pet" it!
I've swam with Mr. Arakawa and Yoriko a couple times... 20150314-H...86090a.jpg
The fish may look strange, but his heart is special. This is wonderful, that such a strange fish can love a human. The would is amazing <3
Beautiful, to be privileged to swim with and touch this beautiful fish is a gift from god 🐟 ❤
Well done young man, I hope your friendship continues for many many years to come.
There is a severe misunderstanding and underestimation of ray-finned fish and cartilaginous fish intelligence. Amphibian and non-avian reptiles too. They are sentient beings with impeccable memory, physiology and processing abilities, some which surpass ours. There's no such thing as an intelligence "scale", there is only a spectrum.
ANOTHER REASON everyone should be VEGAN.... Stop acting like you're better or more deserving of life.
Normally I don't like wrasse kissers but in this case I'll make an exception.
This just made me re-think my consumption of fish on all levels. Wow. What a beautiful creature and a wonderful man. Love everything about this.
God, Elizabeth how do you post such good stuff? I swear you post the best bored panda stuff!
Heartwarming. So does he still eat fish? Is there any animal that doesn't like to be petted & play?
I hope he doesn't eat animals now that he knows how amazing they are xxxxx
Admiro envidiablemente a las personas que ayudan, protegen a los Seres más hermosos del Planeta , FELICITACIONES MUNDIALES POR DOCENAS 13096173_2...92ded3.jpg
Isnt there some video or saying about how humans love and feel and think their animals feel the same when its actually all in their head. What makes this guy or anyone think that this fish cares or anything for this guy. Fish follow our fingers on aquariums, how do we not know this fish is doing nothing but swimming towards something interesting lol. Just saying
Wonderful relationship. However, that is one of the ugliest fish I've ever seen. Gives me the shivers!
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