Everlasting friendships are truly rare to come by. A lot of friends come and go in our lives, but it’s the ones who’ve stuck with us through the years that we have the strongest bonds with. These friendships are not restricted to just humans. For example, Hiroyuki Arakawa has developed an extremely strong friendship with a fish named Yoriko. Their relationship so far has lasted 25 years and is on-going. Yoriko is an Asian sheepshead wrasse that hangs out with Arakawa every time he visits underwater. They even kiss when they greet and take multiple selfies together!Although dogs have been dubbed as “man’s best friend,” we’ve learned that just about any species can act as man’s best friend. This couldn’t be anymore true for a local diver in the southern Chiba Prefecture of Japan.
We’re talking about a real life friendship between a local diver, Hiroyuki Arakawa, and a fish named Yoriko.
He oversees the shrine and acts as a guide for others who desire to visit it.
One particular friendly Asian sheepshead wrasse became much more than just a mere acquaintance.
Every time Arakawa visits the shrine, it is guaranteed that he’ll see his friend. All he has to do is knock on a piece of metal and Yoriko immediately makes his way over to greet him.
Yoriko makes sure to keep the diver company while he explores the dark depths of the bay. Have you ever heard of such a strong bond between a man and his fish?!
In the video below, you’ll see that Yoriko actually lets Arakawa kiss him on the head! This is the diver’s special way of greeting his fish companion. His Facebook page is also filled with several selfies of the two.
They are no longer considered as a species that doesn’t have feelings.
The quarter of a century long friendship between Arakawa and Yoriko is more than enough proof!
A group of fishermen have reportedly developed a bond of their own with local whale sharks.
**Watch the video below to see how Arakawa interacts with Yoriko underwater.**