Penguin relationship diagrams at the aquarium

Apr 24, 2026

The Kyoto Aquarium in Kyoto and the Sumida Aquarium in Tokyo each have detailed relationship diagrams for their penguins. The above is for Kyoto.

The networks are framed as reality shows with weddings, divorce, and cheating, along with likes and dislikes of each penguin. Watch out for the penguin named Pon:

Kuruma and Tako live next door to each other, and Pon has been visiting each of them in turn for snuggle sessions. Both boys are obsessed with Pon, but it seems neither of them can fully satisfy her. What’s the fate of this neighborhood love triangle!?

Oh my.

I don’t know why these exist, but it’s nice that they do. The aquariums have updated the networks each year since 2024.

[Thanks, Charlotte]

Become a member. Support an independent site. Get extra visualization goodness.

See What You Get

Favorites

Graphical perception – learn the fundamentals first

Before you dive into the advanced stuff – like just about everything in your life – you have to learn the fundamentals before you know when you can break the rules.

Peak Non-Creepy Dating Pool

Based on the “half-your-age-plus-seven” rule, the range of people you can date expands with age. Combine that with population counts and demographics, and you can find when your non-creepy dating pool peaks.

Counting Happiness and Where it Comes From

Researchers asked 10,000 participants to list ten things that recently made them happy. I counted and connected the dots.

Data, R, and a 3-D Printer

We almost always look at data through a screen. It’s quick and good for exploration. So is there value in making data physical? I played around with a 3-D printer to find out.