Yanmar Holdings Co., Ltd., and Kita-Sanriku Factory Co., Ltd. launched a full-scale pilot project on April 1, 2025, to develop a land-based sea urchin aquaculture system aimed at addressing “Isoyake”, or coastal ocean desertification.
The project is part of the Japan’s Small Business Innovation and Research (SBIR) program, which was selected by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in October 2024. The project, with a total budget of 920 million yen, will focus on scalable, short-term aquaculture technology for deployment both in Japan and overseas.
The two companies will construct a large-scale land-based aquaculture facility in Hirono, Iwate Prefecture, with completion scheduled for autumn 2025. The facility will showcase UNI-VERSE systems®, an aquaculture solution designed to accelerate sea urchin growth and improve quality. The goal is to demonstrate efficient breeding systems capable of producing high-quality sea urchins for both local markets and export.
Tackling Isoyake with Regenerative Aquaculture
Isoyake, or coastal ocean desertification, a growing environmental issue characterized by the loss of seaweed beds along Japan’s coastal areas. In response to the threat of ocean desertification, which is partially attributed to overgrazing of seaweed by marine organisms such as sea urchins, Kita-Sanriku Factory has started an initiative called “Sea Urchin Regeneration and Cultivation”. This project aims to transform undernourished sea urchins – previously discarded as having no commercial value – into premium seafood products. By feeding the sea urchins for a short period of time, the company was able to greatly improve the size, color, and quality, and succeeded in realizing a taste comparable to that of the natural product. This advancement also enables year-round shipping, including the winter months when sea urchin are typically not available. It is also expected that the land-based aquaculture system will allow seaweed beds to recover, alleviating the problem of Isoyake.
This system was developed over more than seven years in collaboration with Associate Professor Ura and his team at Hokkaido University. The sea urchin feed “Hagukumutane®” and the structure of the fish tank and water tank are patented technologies of the Kita-Sanriku Factory.
■ Yanmar Holdings’ Aquaculture-Related Technologies for Sustainable Fisheries
The Yanmar Group brings extensive expertise in land-based aquaculture systems, including fish tanks, automated tank washers, and shellfish seed technologies. The company’s advanced fluid analysis and automatic cleaning technologies will help optimize environmental controls in the new aquaculture system. Together with Kita-Sanriku Factory, Yanmar aims to refine the UNI-VERSE systems® technology to enable the efficient and sustainable production of high-quality sea urchins for export.
■Global Reach and Export Plans
While international demand for Japanese sea urchins is increasing, securing a high-quality supply has become more difficult due to a rise in the number of “skinny” sea urchins with extremely small gonads, the edible part of sea urchins. The regenerative aquaculture model developed by Kita-Sanriku Factory, in collaboration with the Graduate School of Fisheries Science of Hokkaido University and other research institutions, aims to address this supply gap and promote sustainable practices worldwide.
Kita-Sanriku Factory plans to export UNI-VERSE systems® sea urchins to the EU, the U.S., Dubai, Thailand, and other countries around the world. In 2025, the company will exhibit at four major seafood fairs in the world in Barcelona, Boston, Dubai, and Bangkok, establishing a global commercial distribution network.
About Yanmar
Founded in Osaka in 1912, Yanmar was the first industrial machinery manufacturer in the world to successfully commercialize a compact diesel engine in 1933. In the fields of “land,” “sea,” and “city,” Yanmar is globally expanding its business in agriculture, construction machinery, marine, energy systems, and other fields, centered on engines and other powertrains. Aiming to be an environmentally burden-free and GHG-free company, we provide solutions that create value for our customers. Based on Yanmar’s “HANASAKA” values, which nurture the future, we will realize “A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE” as our brand statement.
For more information, please visit Yanmar’s website at https://www.yanmar.com/jp/about
About Kita-Sanriku Factory
Kita-Sanriku Factory is a leading company developing high-quality sea urchin brands in the town of Hirono, Iwate Prefecture, home to the world’s only “Sea Urchin Farm ®︎”. With the mission of “Enriching the world’s oceans from Kita Sanriku,” the company is leveraging its expertise in raising high-quality sea urchins to connect with the world through its new “sea urchin regenerative aquaculture system” technology and promote initiatives to create a sustainable future for the marine industry. We established an Australian corporation in 2023 and are expanding our business both domestically and internationally.