Sea and Japan Project Public Relations Office
The 4th Yokohama Maritime Citizens University 2024 Lecture “Awesome! Yokohama Port – Biodiversity that only Motomachi fishing gear stores know about” was held!
September 5, 2024 [Zou-no-hana Terrace, Naka-ku, Yokohama]
……
The Yokohama Marine Citizens University Executive Committee will hold the 4th 2024 Yokohama Marine Citizens University course on Thursday, September 5, 2020, to train citizens who will take on the challenge of solving social issues faced by the sea in Yokohama. Awesome! Yokohama Port – Biodiversity that only Motomachi fishing gear stores know about.’ This event is part of the Nippon Foundation’s “Ocean and Japan Project,” which connects people through the ocean in order to pass on the rich and beautiful ocean to the next generation.
Event overview
・The Yokohama Maritime Citizens University Executive Committee held the 4th Yokohama Maritime Citizens University 2024 course to foster “citizens (sea tribes/Umizoku) who can think for themselves and solve the social issues faced by the sea in Yokohama.” (held 10 times a year).
・Date and time: September 5, 2020 (Thursday) 19:30~
・Venue: Zou-no-hana Terrace, Naka-ku, Yokohama
・Number of participants: 45 people (24 on-site students, 12 online students, 3 guests, 6 instructors/executive committee members) ・Co-host: Sea and Japan Project, Zou-no-hana Terrace
・Sponsor: (Yokohama City/Ocean City Yokohama Umi Council)
That’s amazing! Yokohama Port – Biodiversity that only Motomachi fishing tackle shops know about –
The 4th lecture in 2024 started with the question, “How many of you know about Hechi fishing?”
This time’s lecturer is Tomoaki Ando, CEO of I.D.A. Co., Ltd. Two years ago, I opened a fishing tackle shop (I.D.A.works) that specializes in Hechi fishing in Motomachi, Yokohama, which is full of stylish goods, clothes, and cafes.
(https://www.instagram.com/i.d.a.works/)
There are only a few students who know about hechi fishing. “Then, please watch the video to see what fishing for flatfish is like and what kind of fish you can catch.By the way, the location of this video is the Tsurumi quay, and there is a facility called Freille nearby.” In the video, a black sea bream that looked like it could be 50 cm was caught. Mr. Funayama, the actual fishing staff member who teaches the course, will also appear, where you can fill up the fish you catch into tempura and stuff your mouth with it. The only equipment needed for Hetchi fishing is a fishing rod, a simple reel called a drum reel, thread, a small sinker, and a needle. For some reason, I have the impression that fishing is difficult and difficult to get all the necessary equipment, but a shortened rod and reel can fit in your everyday backpack.
Through the words “Fishing Industry and New Forms of Fishing,” the lecturer explained that he wants to change the “fishing industry,” change everyone’s living environment, change society, and make more contributions to society. He says he started a shop.
While the sales scale of the fishing industry has doubled compared to 10 years ago, the fishing population has halved, and with the increase in large-scale stores, the number of small fishing tackle shops in town has decreased considerably, and there are many people fishing alone. It seems that there are concerns that it has become a special hobby that consumes a lot of money.
The instructors hope that the customers who come to the store will not only experience fishing, but that they will also experience the happiness of fishing and eating, and that they will make it a lifestyle.
It also seems that you and your staff are careful not to get sucked into the sense of insularity that can develop over time in an industry (which seems to be the case in any industry). He said that he tries to work with an awareness of what kind of happiness the people who experience fishing will feel, and what he wants them to feel.
The seawater at Yokohama Port is beautiful. Tokyo Bay is a fertile sea with the highest number of fish species in the world and is rich in nutrients. However, the image of factory wastewater is strong, and it is difficult to imagine eating the fish that you caught, so when the store staff posts on social media, they make sure to include the point that they are going to take the fish they caught home and eat it. I was told that there is. It’s true that eating catched fish with everyone is a little different than buying fish.
In order to open a fishing tackle shop in Motomachi, Yokohama, the instructor thought carefully about how people living in that area could fish and be happy (area marketing). And the answer was Hechi fishing, which can be started with simple tools. By offering introductory equipment for Hetchi fishing at a fraction of the price of 3,000 yen, we hope to make it easier for local Motomachi residents to enjoy fishing and stop the decline in Japan’s fishing population. (break away from the market), and firmly decide on the store’s policy regarding SDGs and ecology (and (We do not handle products that are considered to have a high environmental impact even if they are profitable), we have our own unique strengths that are competitive with others (core competencies), and we have developed a new approach to manufacturing and procurement, rather than the traditional method of purchasing products. It was very interesting to hear how the company went so far as to enter D2C. However, since this is also related to the store’s know-how, I will omit the details here. If you are interested, please visit the store.
In addition, the instructor seemed to think that fishing in the Yokohama Minato Mirai area could become a new landscape. He says that catching a large black porgy right in front of tourists is a sight unique to Yokohama. It is true that there may not be many tourist spots where you can catch a 50cm black sea bream right in front of your eyes. This is where the approach to improving the ocean begins. The instructor believes that providing a lifestyle where you can feel close to the sea, catch a variety of fish by fishing for heelfish, and eat deliciously together can also contribute to the welfare of the residents. Last year, at a food fair in Motomachi, they served black sea bream hamburgers caught in Minato Mirai, and they were so well received that they sold out of 140 of them in no time. He also said that he would like people in the area to know that rays and sharks, which are considered harmful fish, are delicious to eat, and to eat them as well.
Is there an alternative to fishing line (microplastic problem)? It’s still difficult to answer that question, and if you aim for
perfection, it won’t come true (I’m talking about excluding fishing). The answer was that as an alternative method, he recommended fishing for hechi, which is less likely to lose the bait (it breaks and remains on the seabed).
Furthermore, can you catch sharks and rays by fishing for heelfish? In response to this question, the answer was that you can catch more fish by changing the size of the sinker by attaching bait such as squid or sardines to a larger hook and using a fishing method similar to “bukkomi.”
Afterwards, the students went outside and tried fishing for heelfish. Since we were all having fun fishing, it wasn’t like we were going to catch a lot of fish, but we managed to catch 2 small black breams, 1 porgies, and 1 rockfish! It only takes about 20 minutes!
Through fish, we were able to experience the preciousness of life, catch various types of fish, eat the fish we caught, and learn about the lifestyle of the sea tribe, which also contributes to dietary education. Now, everyone, let’s go fishing.
This year, Yokohama Maritime Citizens University will be holding a course with the theme “Let’s go to the sea.” If you can’t apply what you learned to your own actions, it’s just a figment of what you learned. We are asking various instructors to help us, hoping that our students will find their own actions. After the 10 lectures, we are also planning a “Seaside Cultural Festival” by and for the Umizoku. Let’s learn together for a year and find your own action!
Participants’ comments
・I was surprised to catch a black sea bream on my second fishing trip. ・We were conscious of anglers as a new landscape in the Minato Mirai area. ・As a fishing gear store, I thought it was wonderful that they had a clear vision of contributing to society.
-Organization Overview-
Organization name: Yokohama Marine Citizens University Executive Committee URL: https://yokohamakaiyouniv.wixsite.com/kaiyo/
Activities: We hold training courses 10 times a year (20 times a year before the coronavirus pandemic) for Yokohama citizens to become mariners who can think for themselves about the social issues faced by the sea in Yokohama and take action to solve them. are. In addition to classroom lectures, we also hold outdoor courses where you can actually learn about the sea and the sea.
Nippon Foundation “Ocean and Japan Project”
The sea supports Japanese people’s lives in various ways, sometimes giving them peace of mind, excitement, and inspiration. This is an all-Japan project that aims to encourage people across the country, including children, to view the ongoing environmental deterioration of the oceans as their own, and to expand the circle of action to preserve the oceans for future generations. is.
https://uminohi.jp/