Let's consume more domestically produced, sustainable seafood! A Mexican-based, industry-led NGO is working hard to achieve this (Part 2)
Interview
Royal Host is the first in the family restaurant industry to...MSC NewsThe use of certified seafood is expanding year by year, with businesses even announcing menus featuring seafood*1. However, many people may be concerned about the stability of procurement, product quality, and cost, even if they are considering adopting it.
Therefore, this time we would like to introduce the initiative of Cross Hotel Kyoto, which will use certified seafood in all seafood products used in its lunch menu starting in April 2026*2.
Cross Hotel Kyoto is a business brand developed nationwide by ORIX Hotel Management Corporation.ORIX HOTELS & RESORTS It is one of the 14 accommodations. The company will open in August 2023.MSCwithASCHaving obtained CoC certification, the company began offering MSC-certified seafood at buffet restaurants in inns and hotels nationwide starting in April 2024. The company is the first accommodation provider to offer certified seafood at multiple accommodation facilities*3. These efforts were recognized, and the company received a "Special Award" at the "MSC Japan Awards 2025" in August 2025*4.
Then, in 2025, KIHARU Brasserie, the restaurant and bar at Cross Hotel Kyoto, incorporated certified seafood into its winter menu and New Year's lunch buffet*5. Furthermore, from April 2026, all seafood used in the lunch menu became certified seafood*2.
What was the key to the rapid introduction of certified seafood products?
We spoke with Mr. Eitaka Sugawara, head chef of Cross Hotel Kyoto, and Mr. Yojiro Chiba (pictured below), facility operations manager at ORIX Hotel Management Corporation, who is in charge of the hotel's purchasing department and other related matters.
The first reason Mr. Sugawara cited for making it easier to adopt certified seafood was "the cooperation of the headquarters' purchasing department."
"Many places incorporate certified seafood in just one item, but it's difficult to source everything. The purchasing department at headquarters worked hard on that, so all we had to do on the ground was select the ingredients."
Chiba, the facility operations manager, said, "For a buffet, quantity and stable supply are especially important. Quality and cost are also crucial. We spent a considerable amount of time coordinating with suppliers to ensure that we could meet all of these requirements." The chefs' confidence in selecting ingredients was made possible by the diligent efforts of the purchasing department.
However, when asked if there have been changes recently due to the effects of climate change, such as not being able to catch as much fish as expected or changes in the types of fish, they replied, "Certainly, the fish we usually source are sometimes unavailable or their quality changes, so we have backups in place."
It's not just about providing good ingredients. Twice a year, the company brings together all the head chefs and purchasing managers from its directly managed facilities nationwide in Tokyo to hold food exhibitions with the purchasing department at headquarters, and to conduct study sessions on certified seafood such as MSC and ASC. "In times like these, meeting in person is especially important," says Chiba. I felt that careful communication is leading to action.
The second key is the high quality of the certified frozen seafood. A while ago, frozen seafood could sometimes release moisture or have an unpleasant odor, but now, thanks to technological advancements, it's "very easy to use," says Sugawara.
"We freeze tuna at minus 60 degrees Celsius right after catching it, so it's much better than tuna that's been refrigerated for a long time. I think we're now in an era where the notion that frozen food doesn't taste good will be dispelled."
The percentage of MSC-certified fisheries in Japan is less than 4% of the global total. Therefore, if you want to choose certified seafood, you will mostly end up with frozen products.*6As the quality of frozen foods improves, the range of options increases, and the variety of menus expands.
"Being able to use frozen food has the advantage of ensuring a sufficient quantity. In the mornings, we sometimes serve around 400 meals, so a certain amount of food is necessary for that."
Quality and quantity. Hotels naturally need to satisfy both, but nowadays, certified seafood is beginning to satisfy both.
And the third key is to make everything certified seafood.
When handling certified seafood, it is necessary to prove that certified and non-certified seafood are managed in a way that prevents them from being mixed.Chain of Custody CertificationThey needed to obtain this certification. The company obtained CoC certification in 2023. Since then, all the seafood served on the lunch menu at Cross Hotel Kyoto has been certified seafood.
"It's difficult to keep certified and uncertified seafood separate in a busy kitchen. By using only certified seafood, we've been able to reduce the amount of work involved."
It seems like things have unfolded smoothly, but were there any objections from the people working on the ground?
"We had been working on it little by little throughout the company for several years, so we didn't really encounter any problems. The only thing that increased was the variety and quantity of products we handled, but we didn't have any difficulties."
For implementation and continuation, it's crucial that not only is there a positive "goodwill," but also that those actually working on the ground don't feel burdened or resistant. The innovative approach of mitigating this barrier by using only certified seafood products has clearly enabled the successful implementation and continuation of the system.
However, the influence of Chef Sugawara, who is leading the introduction of certified seafood on-site, is also significant.
Mr. Sugawara originally worked as a chef in Hokkaido. In his 40s, he moved to Osaka. In the kitchen, he keenly felt that the fish that used to be caught, such as squid from Hakodate and saury from Nemuro, were becoming increasingly scarce year by year. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic. While researching what he could do through cooking, he learned that restaurants in Tokyo were using MSC and ASC certified seafood.
Later, through a fortunate turn of events, I became the chef at Cross Hotel Kyoto. While developing the menu, I came up with the idea of incorporating certified seafood.
"There are many restaurants in Tokyo that are committed to sustainability, but there are still very few in Kyoto. I hope this will be an opportunity for the people of Kyoto to learn about certified seafood."
We also asked Ms. Chiba from the facility management department about her outlook for the future.
"We will continue to haveORIX HOTELS & RESORTS As the purchasing department at the headquarters of "[Company Name]", we want to diligently work to increase the variety of fish available to facilities and firmly promote sustainable seafood. Although there are still few certified seafood products in Japan, we would like to offer the double added value of "domestically produced" and "certified seafood" in the future.
Regarding this initiative, Maya Takimoto of the Marine and Fisheries Group at WWF Japan's Conservation Department said, "I believe this initiative carefully considers how to embody the idea that providing and consuming 'sustainable' products includes not only 'environmental' benefits but also 'safety and security,' and it honestly aims to continue this at a price and in a place where many people can access it, rather than as a fleeting trend or something expensive and out of reach."
In Japan, while awareness of certification labels such as MSC and ASC is gradually increasing, their recognition and adoption are still far lower than in Europe and the United States. In this situation, where there is a tendency to choose not to handle these labels because they are not well known, ORIX Hotel Management Corporation and Cross Hotel Kyoto have chosen to increase their handling of these labels and to increase their display on menus and signs in order to raise awareness. It is hoped that an increase in such initiatives will increase consumer awareness and choice, and ultimately increase the supply from suppliers, thereby expanding opportunities for 'sustainable' choices throughout society," they stated.
Introducing certified seafood is no longer a special undertaking; it's becoming a standard option that can be implemented with a little ingenuity and collaboration. Cross Hotel Kyoto's approach offers us concrete hints for taking that first step.
We look forward to sharing further examples of initiatives that follow the ones we've introduced today.
Cross Hotel Kyoto Official Website:https://cross-kyoto.orixhotelsandresorts.com/
Interview cooperation: WWF Japan
Text by Mariko Arikawa, Chief Communication Officer, Seafood Legacy
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