High-end saltwater fish raised in landlocked Shiga Prefecture could soon be making a splash on dinner tables across the country.
A company in Kusatsu, which has developed a unique water purification system, has succeeded in raising saltwater fish without the need of frequent water changing. Fish raised in in the aquaculture system do not run the risk of becoming contaminated with poisons or infected with parasites from the sea, unlike their ocean-dwelling counterparts, and have been attracting inquiries from establishments nationwide.
Aqua Stage, the company promoting the aquaculture, was established in 2018 by Willstage, which has previously purified the water for the Imperial Palace’s outer moat as well as the pond at Byodoin Temple, a World Heritage Site in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture.
Since 2019, the company has been cultivating thousands of fish such as tiger pufferfish, eels, and flatfish in tanks set up in plastic greenhouses in the mountains of Otsu and Koka cities. Initially, the company planned to start shipping the fish to hotels and restaurants in 2020, but plummeting demand amid the outbreak of the novel coronavirus prompted the company to pursue alternative options.
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Saltwater fish raised in Japan’s mountains ready to make a splash