TOKYO (Reuters) - A wild spotted seal that swam up a Japanese river and has lived there since early this month is now a Japanese media star, with children and adults alike flocking to see it as a welcome distraction from stress and bad news.
On any given day, hundreds of spectators pack the banks of the Arakawa river in the city of Shiki, about 30 km (19 miles) north of Tokyo, to catch a glimpse of the seal nicknamed "Ara-chan" - a combination of the river's name and an affectionate suffix used for small children.
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