[Simplified Article] We are on the eve of a revolution. The future of the fishing industry changed by "magic water"

The "suitable environment water" developed by Associate Professor Toshimasa Yamamoto is about to fundamentally change Japan's fishing industry.

This research, which began in the deep mountains of Okayama, shows the potential to produce seafood anywhere on Earth, from landlocked Mongolia to the Osaka Expo venue.

Going beyond mere technological innovation, this is beginning to function as a revolutionary solution that simultaneously solves food security and regional revitalization.

How will it change? The shock of inland areas being reborn as fishing villages

The global land-based aquaculture market is projected to grow rapidly at a compound annual growth rate of 15.8% from 2024 to 2033, reaching a market size of 16.4 billion USD by 2033.

However, it is not the numbers that I am focusing on. The destructive power of this technology lies in its ability to develop fisheries while completely ignoring geographical constraints.

The commercialization of sockeye salmon in inland Fukushima City and the track record of 12,000 servings of "Okayama University of Science Eel" sold out at Kura Sushi have already moved beyond the experimental stage.

The fact that "matsukawa flounder" will be served to visitors from all over the world at the Kansai Expo is proof that technology originating in Japan is becoming recognized as an international food production system.

No seawater needed and double the growth speed. Releasing stress makes both fish and people happy

Suitable environment water has a salinity concentration about one-fourth that of seawater, achieving an osmotic pressure close to that of fish body fluids. This allows fish to concentrate their energy on growth, lowering their stress levels by 60 points compared to seawater.

Vannamei shrimp can be shipped in 3 months instead of the 4 to 5 months required in seawater, and stable aquaculture can be achieved even for fish species susceptible to disease, such as sockeye salmon.

With a completely closed circulation system, water does not need to be changed for up to 3 years, and there is no intrusion of diseases or parasites. This is a technology that completely avoids the natural disaster risks such as red tides and typhoons that conventional sea-surface aquaculture faces.

In fact, considering the current situation where Japan's catch has decreased to about one-third of its 1984 peak and 60% of aquaculture businesses are seeing deteriorating performance this stability becomes a decisive differentiating factor.

With only water and electricity, even space aquaculture is within range

Associate Professor Yamamoto has clearly stated that "it can even be deployed on a space station." This is not just a dream. He has announced plans to aim for breeding experiments on the International Space Station in 2030, and the technical foundation is already in place.

Smart aquaculture plants are being realized through integration with ICT, and automation using remote monitoring systems is also progressing in joint experiments with NTT East.

Aquaculture projects in Mongolia and expansion in Southeast Asia demonstrate that this technology can completely ignore geographical constraints. I assert that this is a technology that will fundamentally change the concept of food production.

Make it a full-scale trump card for regional revitalization

I am confident in this technology. This is because Associate Professor Yamamoto's research has, over 20 years, built a track record of being commercialized by a giant chain like Kura Sushi and making its world debut at the Osaka Expo.

The fact that mere laboratory technology has succeeded in the market and is further being evaluated on the international stage carries significant weight.

The issue is scaling up. Land-based aquaculture faces the challenge of initial investments reaching hundreds of millions of yen, but this can be solved through large-scale operations. As seen in the Fukushima case, by having core regional companies take the lead and linking it to regional revitalization, a new industrial foundation can be built in depopulated areas.

If it were me, I would collaborate with local governments to form an industrial cluster centered on this technology, simultaneously achieving job creation and regional branding. This goes beyond mere innovation in the fishing industry; it becomes a weapon to revitalize Japan's regional economy.