| Due to Yo from the Okhotsk Tokkari Center being a rescued seal, this project is for the purpose of introducing western fans of the seal Yo to the details of her childhood through extensive investigation and searching through archived websites. If any Japanese seal enthusiasts would like to contribute to this project, I would be incredibly grateful. |
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| Yo was rescued in Rausu town on May 3rd at the age of approximately one month and two weeks old at the beginning of the May of 2011. I am dedicating an honorary estimated birthday week starting March 27th. Rausu is located in Hokkaido. Here is a view of the relative locations of Monbetsu (Yo's current home) and Rausu. |
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| These photos are the first publically posted photos of Yo by user banyakitahama on shirotokoclub on May the 8th. Here, she still has a bit of her lanugo (baby fur). Click on the photos to see the source! |
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| Yo was brought to the Tokkari Center on May 11th, and on May 12th this adorable photo was taken and put on the Tokkari Website! Even when blurry, it is clear that Yo is the most precious seal to ever be. |
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| Yo's name was officially announced on September 5th, 2011, after accepting suggestions from July 22nd to August 21st. According to the Tokkari center website "The name comes from the idea that "we hope she grows up healthy like the sun." The name was suggested by a woman from Gunma Prefecture, with a total of 625 votes having been cast. Though the image along with the announcement post has been lost in the depths of the interwebs, the tagline is adorable "She is currently learning various things in the indoor pool. She is full of energy, swimming freely in the pool and doing handstands. You can see her lively figure from the window. Please call out to her and call her You-chan!!" To those of you who aren't aware, "You" is the correct way to spell her name if not for how English speakers pronounce the word "you." Her name is composed of two characters "Yo" and "u". It is therefore written as Yo, and pronounced "Yo-oo" so not as much like "yo" the greeting. If you listen to her keepers calling her, it becomes a lot easier to notice. |
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| Now after the rambling, here is an approximately ordered gallery of some Yo photos I have found presented by incredibely awesome bloggers.In order to preserve these photos in the case that these blogs get taken down, I will be hosting them here, but you can click them to be taken to the original sources. |
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By Official Tokkari Center, 2011.--.--
By Official Tokkari Center, 2011.--.--
By Official Tokkari Center, 2011.--.--
By Mayuki M., 2011.08.--
"When I was volunteering at the center, we hadn't decided on a name yet, so we just called her "Chibi-chan" for convenience. She was small, innocent, and unreliable, and she was so desperate that she would often look up at the window and cry, 'Hoo, hoo.'"
By Mayuki M., 2011.08.--
"Even after I came back to Osaka, I was always worried about that cute little girl, wondering if she was doing well, or whether she was crying forlornly again, and I couldn't help but miss her. My husband turned to me and said, 'Are you serious? She will be eating atka mackerel by now!'"
By Mayuki M., 2011.08.--
By Mayuki M., 2011.08.04
"When I took my lunch break and looked into the pen, the baby seal, Yo-chan, was always floating comfortably asleep after a feeding. When summer comes, I remember the distant Monbetsu."
By Mayuki M., 2012.03.17
By Mayuki M., 2012.03.17
By the husband of Mayuki M., 2012.03.17
"This was a photo taken after I was finally able to go to Monbetsu again after half a year!"
By Mayuki M., 2011.--.--
By Mayuki M., 2012.03.--
"Six months later, it looks like the opposite before and after diet advertisements. She has a pretty strong personality...or rather, she's gotten thicker, and like the ringed seal in the center from before, she's starting to show off a bit of a fiesty personality. Despite her difficult personality, she looks small and round, and is a devilish seal with full feminine power."
By Mayuki M., 2012.03.--
"You-chan, who is about 9 months old and still a 3-year-old in human terms, plays with the visitors with her sweet looks and self-centered personality. Will I become a woman like Fujiko Mine in the future?"
By Shohee Murakawa, 2012.04.07
By Mayuki M., 2012.04.21
By Fuji Bin, 2012.05.22
By Shohee Murakawa, 2012.06.03
By Shohee Murakawa, 2012.06.--
By Shohee Murakawa, 2012.06.--
By Mayuki M., 2012.06.--
For context, this is a funny rambling post about Atsushi Sakurai from BUCKTICK! I was absolutely tickled to see this crossover. "No, the cheap wine I bought at Daiei Minase store is going around. I confessed my feelings to my husband while drunk, and yesterday he said, 'If Acchan (BUCKTICK) and Youchan were lying in front of me, I would seriously worry about which one I should save!' That's when I was taken aback. But I'm sure l'd say things like, 'Sakurai-san!An ambulance will be here soon, so stay tuned!' and help Yo-chan. But what does that mean for me as a person, as a woman? Recently, just... Am I turning into a delusional seal geek?"
By Shohee Murakawa, 2012.10.--
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This is a personal fansite. This site is not for profit of any kind, and directs people to the aquariums and centers associated with any seals listed. None of this is for my own personal gain, it is only to spread joy to others as an autistic person who loves seals. If you would like to request the removal of any information from this site, please message the twitter user "@yochanachoo" or contact the email yochanachoo@gmail.com |
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