[Series] Part 3: Connecting food culture to the future - Considering the future management of Japan's fisheries resources

In this third installment of our series on the future of fisheries resource management in Japan, we have a contribution from Hiroko Sasaki, Representative Director of Chefs for the Blue. She shares her thoughts on the sense of crisis felt by chefs working in the food industry, and the actions she is taking with chefs to resolve the issue and achieve sustainable resource management.

　I am a food journalist who has contributed articles to various media outlets for many years. While I have often covered primary industries, for some reason I had never had any contact with the ocean. However, about 10 years ago, I was blessed with the opportunity to spend six months intensively focusing on the fishing industry.

　There, I was confronted with the critical state of the ocean. Catches were continuing to plummet, the auction floor at the landing port was sparsely stocked, the fishermen had gloomy expressions on their faces no matter which beach I visited, and the fish at Toyosu Market were drastically smaller than before. I was shocked beyond words. While I realized that the number of fish in the ocean was clearly decreasing, the ocean was rarely discussed in public conversations or in the media. It sent chills down my spine, realizing that if things continued like this, a future would come where fish would disappear from our dinner tables without anyone even noticing.

　Wanting to somehow change the current situation, he launched "Chefs for the Blue" with some chef friends in 2017. The team members in Tokyo and Kyoto are 45 top chefs from a variety of genres. After holding a series of study sessions with the aim of "first learning," they gradually shifted to activities that "communicate" the current situation by holding events and other activities.

　The activities of this unprecedented "team of chefs united with the goal of solving social issues" in Japan were initially dismissed by many people, with comments such as "there's nothing chefs can do" and "it won't last anyway." But why has it continued for over eight years, why has the activity steadily expanded, and why are there a constant stream of chefs wanting to participate? Perhaps there is only one answer: seafood is a truly important ingredient in the Japanese culinary world. This is because the chefs understand the value of Japanese fish more deeply than anyone, are truly proud of it, and truly want to pass it on to the future at all costs.

A sense of crisis spreading through the food and beverage industry

　In 2020, after we began our activities, the Fisheries Act was revised for the first time in 70 years, and the law came into effect, explicitly including the term "sustainability." It was also announced that scientifically based resource management goals would be set and a new resource management system would be established with the aim of maintaining and restoring resources. Naturally, we were overjoyed, thinking, "This will surely get us out of this crisis," but unfortunately, nearly five years have passed since then, and there are still no signs of improvement. Not only are catches continuing to decline, but the stocks of many fish species are also continuing to decline.

　In June 2025, Chefs for the Blue conducted a nationwide survey of food and beverage operators to investigate the current state of seafood procurement. Despite the short 6-day period, 15 responses were collected, all anonymous. To give some examples of the results, when asked whether the amount of seafood distributed on the market has changed compared to 1,300 years ago, 10% answered "very much less" or "less." When asked about the current state of seafood procurement compared to other ingredients such as vegetables, meat, and dairy products, 95.2% answered "very big a problem" or "big a problem." When asked about the future of seafood procurement, 73% answered "very big a sense of crisis" or "somewhat of a sense of crisis." The survey results clearly convey the anxiety and frustration felt by the food and beverage industry regarding the current and future state of seafood procurement.

A word cloud showing the "fish species that have become difficult to obtain" responses to the survey. The larger the seafood type, the more food and beverage businesses are responding.
Showing that you feel it is hard to get

The most common answer to this survey was sushi restaurants, accounting for 26.9%, followed by Japanese restaurants at 18.1%. We were also surprised to see that there were far more responses from regional restaurants closer to the sea than expected. The magnitude of the sense of crisis they are currently feeling overlaps with the sense of crisis that we Japanese are facing regarding the survival of our food culture.

　Japan's proud fish-eating culture is the fruit of a miraculous relationship that has been forged over the years: diverse fish species and their diverse characteristics; experienced fishermen who catch them; artisans who can increase the value of fish through precise processing; a well-developed cold chain; and sophisticated techniques for cooking and processing the fish. Of the inbound tourism spending that exceeded 2024 trillion yen in 8, 83.2% of foreigners visit Japan with the expectation of "eating Japanese food."* The magnitude of this culture's value, including its economic contribution, should be measurable. If fish were to disappear from the oceans, this system itself would collapse, and it is clear that what is broken is difficult to restore.

*From the Japan Tourism Agency's "Report on Consumption Trends of Foreign Visitors to Japan, January-March 2023" Figures 1-3 and 6-1

Summary of the nationwide restaurant surveyclick here

To the government, to consumers, to the food and beverage industry, and to the next generation

Currently, we at Chefs for the Blue work on four axes every day.

The first is action to the government. In June 2024, we became the first in the culinary world to submit a proposal to the Director-General of the Fisheries Agency, and in June of this year we also handed it over to Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Koizumi and exchanged opinions. More than five years have passed since the fisheries reform, but we are concerned that the state of the oceans has not yet improved. As a first step towards resolving this issue, we have made it our first recommendation to strengthen the system for resource surveys, assessments and management. We have also made efforts to reduce the focus on highly plentiful fish species such as horse mackerel, chub mackerel and yellow mackerel.TAC (Allowable Catch System)In light of the current situation regarding the setting of the "Regional Fisheries Guidelines," we called for the improvement and promotion of resource management methods for the many coastal fish species that are in small quantities and that have not received much attention until now. The existence of a wide variety of coastal fish species, including Japanese conger eel, common octopus, bigfin reef squid, filefish, clams, and groupers, supports local economies, including the processing and tourism industries, and has shaped the food culture of each region.

In June 2025, the proposal was presented to Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Koizumi and an exchange of opinions took place. (Photo: Homma Yuki)

 The second axis is action for consumers. This is an area we have been good at, and by holding various events, large and small, such as dinners held in front of the aquarium tanks, we are able to raise awareness of the current situation among many people and create opportunities to convey the importance of resource management.

　The third axis is action aimed at the food and beverage industry. Two years ago, we launched an online community called "the Blue community," which currently has approximately 3 members nationwide. We operate it as a platform for communicating the current state of the fishing industry and future challenges, exchanging opinions, and thinking about the future together. We also frequently hold fieldwork and study sessions at fishing grounds, and are often amazed by the passion for the ocean of the participating members.

    The fourth axis is action for the next generation. We run "the Blue camp," a three-month (starting this year, five-month) human resources development program for university and vocational school students, with the aim of cultivating the next generation who will seriously consider the future of the fishing industry. The selected students come from a wide range of majors, including politics, economics, nutrition, education, fisheries, culinary arts, and information. Together with peers with diverse knowledge and ways of thinking, they look at the ocean today and think carefully about the path to the future. Even after graduating from the program, the students continue to actively participate as a youth team of Chefs for the Blue.

The full text of the proposal and the submission of the proposal to the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Director-General of the Fisheries Agency can be found atclick here

The video of "the Blue camp", which won the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award at the Sustaina Awards 2024, isclick here

Society is definitely beginning to change

Unfortunately, the current state of Japan's oceans is even more critical than when I first encountered them 10 years ago. Resource management has not progressed as expected at the time of the reforms, and climate change is accelerating, the marine environment is deteriorating, and negotiations with other countries are becoming more difficult. On the other hand, I feel that society, including the media, has certainly changed. People with the same aspirations are becoming more visible everywhere, our numbers are increasing, and stakeholders in the fishing industry are gradually beginning to change. My sense of despair is not the same as it was 10 years ago.

　As a team of food professionals who understand the value of Japanese fish, we want to connect Japan's wonderful food culture to the future. If there is anything we can do now to "continue to eat fish while protecting it," we want to do everything in our power to achieve it. This is the aspiration of the chefs on our team. Together with these strong colleagues, we will continue to carry out activities that are unique to Chefs for the Blue.

Blue Fest, an event where 33 chefs served their best seafood dishes to 260 guests, will be held in June 2025. (Photo: Nobuyoshi Miyamoto)

Hiroko Sasaki
Food journalist/CEO of Chefs for the Blue
A journalist who reports and writes both domestically and internationally on the themes of gastronomy and food sustainability. Utilizing the wide network he has cultivated, he is also involved in various social design activities aimed at resolving social food-related issues. In 2017, in the face of the critical situation facing Japan's oceans, he launched Chefs for the Blue, and together with top chefs from Tokyo and Kyoto, he launched awareness-raising activities to protect Japan's marine resources and connect food culture to the future. He has previously served as a special member of the Fisheries Policy Council of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and as a selection committee member for the ministry's "Goodwill Ambassador for the Promotion of Japanese Cuisine."
Chefs for the Blue

Click here for an interview with Hiroko Sasaki
I want to connect the Japanese food culture. I learn together with chefs and continue on the path I believe in.

<Past series>
[Series] Thinking about Japan's future fisheries resource management
  Part 1: Reasons for the decline of Japan's fisheries resources and four necessary measures
2nd session: Discussion among ocean stakeholders