Shrimp Farming Demonstration at Closed Elementary School in Naga Town, Tokushima Prefecture Start of Demonstration Experiment of Inshore Shrimp Farming in Naga Town, Tokushima Prefecture Challenging a difficult problem in a depopulated area with no sea as a means of reconstruction

Seaside Consulting Inc. (Head office: Kyonan-cho, Chiba Prefecture; Representative Directors: Yusheng Hirano and Aya Hirano; hereinafter referred to as "the Company"), a company that develops businesses that solve social problems, started a demonstration project for inshore shrimp cultivation using the facilities of Hiratani Elementary School, which has been closed, as a joint project with Naga Town, Tokushima Prefecture, on August 20, 2024. This project is a joint project with the town of Naga in Tokushima Prefecture.

This initiative is a groundbreaking model that aims to revitalize depopulated areas through the effective use of idle facilities, and is a new project that contributes to regional development.

Aquaculture experiment in the lunchroom of Hiraya Elementary School, which is currently closed

Background to the Demonstration Experiment

In 2022, Hakuhodo Products, Inc. concluded a comprehensive collaboration agreement for regional revitalization with the town of Naga in Tokushima Prefecture. As part of this agreement, the "Naga Town Future Creation Project" was launched, and Hakuhodo Products has been working with Naga Town to develop a vision for the future. The project was featured in the May 2022 issue of Business Concept, a monthly business magazine, and Hakuhodo Products was asked to consult on land-based aquaculture for the utilization of idle facilities.

Trial Demonstration for Future Utilization of Idle Facilities

What we realized from the consultation with the town of Naga was the priority of utilizing idle facilities rather than abandoned land, which we have been working on since 2021. According to data from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, 8,000 schools have already been closed in Japan, and it is predicted that more than 10,000 more will be closed in the next 25 years. However, there are many disadvantages to using closed schools, such as land constraints and the logistical environment of depopulated areas. Nonetheless, we take social issues seriously and aim to realize a new business model in depopulated areas: the "Strategic Closed School Utilization and Onshore Aquaculture" package.

Naga Town in Tokushima Prefecture is a depopulated town with a population of 7,439 and an aging population rate of 46.6%. However, it is precisely in this harsh environment that we believe the success of the onshore cultivation of shrimp will spread to other similar areas.

Future Development

The demonstration experiment of land-based shrimp aquaculture in Naga Town is an important step toward commercial aquaculture in the following fiscal year and beyond. The success of the demonstration experiment in the Hiraya area of Naga Town, where there are particular concerns about the town becoming a ghost town, has the potential to serve as a role model not only for this area but also for depopulated areas throughout Japan. We hope that this initiative will serve as a source of hope for many concerned parties and pave the way to solving nationwide problems.

About Seaside Consulting(R) Inc.

Seaside Consulting(R) is the first company in Japan to realize land-based shrimp farming on abandoned farmland, and is developing businesses that solve social issues. In the past, in collaboration with Hotel Mikazuki, we were the first company in Japan to farm shrimp in the hotel industry.

In 2021, the company established a land-based aquaculture facility in Kyonan Town, Chiba Prefecture, utilizing abandoned farmland, which attracted much attention, receiving 13 TV interviews. In April of this year, the company also applied for a patent for a low-energy operation of an onshore aquaculture tank specializing in water temperature control (Patent Application 2024-059309).

Company name: Seaside Consulting(R) Inc.

Representative: Yusheng Hirano and Aya Hirano, President and Representative Director

Location: 2720 Shimosakuma, Kyonan-cho, Awa-gun, Chiba 299-2115, Japan

Establishment ： March 3, 2017

Business : Shrimp farming in Kyonan-cho, Chiba Prefecture, Japan

　　　　　　　 Consulting for land-based aquaculture

Official website ： https://tsuku2.jp/seasidebianca

X (former Twitter) ： https://x.com/YuseiVegan

Instagram ： https://www.instagram.com/seaside_consulting/

YouTube ： https://www.youtube.com/@seasideconsulting7101

For inquiries from the general public, please contact

We are always open to questions and requests for consulting regarding the utilization of closed schools and inshore aquaculture.

Interested municipalities and companies are invited to contact us at the following address.

Seaside Consulting(R) Inc.

TEL : 090-6839-8027

MAIL： seasidemarket@seaside.green