〈10/6～12 Event Report〉OCEAN & BEYOND

Published 2025.10.26
Modified 2025.11.5
Author zerijp
Categories Notices

During the final week of the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo, from Monday, October 6th to Sunday, October 12th, the theme of “The Ocean and Beyond” was held. Sailors for the Sea Japan Branch, a general incorporated association that promotes blue seafood guides, invited top ocean leaders from across borders and industries to hold events and talk sessions aimed at preserving the ocean’s bounty for future generations.

Opening: Ocean & Beyond

On Monday, October 6th, the opening event for “OCEAN & BEYOND” featured a talk session featuring special guests. The event began with a special discussion between Minako Iue, President and CEO of Sailors for the Sea Japan Branch, and Akie Abe. While reflecting on past events on ocean issues she attended as the wife of the Prime Minister, she shared her thoughts on the ocean and peace.

This was followed by a talk session on the theme of “From G1 to the World’s Oceans: Improving Japan.” Moderated by Yoshito Hori, Dean of the Graduate School of Management at Globis University and Managing Partner of Globis Capital Partners, the session was joined by actor Takuro Tatsumi, Atsushi Sunami, Chairman of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, Iue, and Akie Abe, who discussed the activities of the G1 Marine Environment Research Group. Other programs, such as “Takuro Tatsumi’s Gourmet! Banzai Blue Seafood Edition” and “Atsushi Sunami’s ItteQ to the Ends of the World’s Seas,” provided opportunities to deepen knowledge about the ocean.

International Day

On Tuesday, October 7, Minako Iue, President and CEO of Sailors for the Sea Japan, moderated a dialogue and talk session featuring former Portuguese Minister of the Sea and Associate Professor Assunção Christas of NOVA School of Law; Max Valentín, Campaign Director and Senior Scientist at the US-based ocean NGO OCEANA; and Wakao Hanaoka, Founder and CEO of Seafood Legacy. The discussion covered ocean issues facing Portugal and the US, challenges facing Japan’s fishing industry, and measures to combat IUU (illegal, unreported, and unregulated) fishing. The discussion emphasized the need for everyone to take an interest in the ocean and work to resolve these issues.

Blue Seafood Day

On Wednesday, October 8, Blue Seafood Partners introduced their sustainable seafood resource initiatives. Blue Seafood refers to a scientifically based list of sustainable seafood products compiled by the Sailors for the Sea Japan branch, and Blue Seafood Partners are approximately 80 companies that support this philosophy. At this event, the team from Shimafuumi, a restaurant on Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture that uses island ingredients, introduced their sustainability initiatives, and Omori Kaigan Matsuno Sushi, a sushi restaurant with a history of approximately 120 years, introduced its unique approach.

In the second half of the event, SMBC Nikko Securities and Manulife Investment Management Co., Ltd. held a lecture and talk session on maritime security, and presented analyses of the “blue economy” and “sustainable finance.”

Blue Seafood Day for Junior and Senior High School Students

On Thursday, October 9, current students from Yamazaki Gakuen Fujimi Junior and Senior High School, a Blue Seafood Partner, gave presentations on their research on blue seafood. Presentations were divided into three sections: the “Academic Exploration” section covered the themes of “Marine Conservation and Blue Seafood” and “Sustainable Fisheries and Certification Systems.” The “Problem Exploration” section covered themes such as “Living a Delicious Future: Tokyo’s Blue Seafood Initiative,” “Utilizing Unutilized Fish,” “Choosing a Sustainable Restaurant,” and “Eat Fish! One Dish Will Change the Future.” The “Practical Exploration” section featured presentations on meal menus using blue seafood created by junior and senior high school students.

QR codes were also distributed at the venue, allowing participants to view menus created by students who were unable to present their ideas at the event.

Embassy and Local Government Day

On Friday, October 10, the “Blue Seafood Guide UK Edition,” developed by Sailors for the Sea Japan in collaboration with the British Embassy, featured the launch of the guide, a list of recommended sustainable British seafood. The guide also featured a special discussion introducing Canada’s sustainable seafood industry.

Finally, representatives from Tokyo, Kyoto, and Hayama Town, with whom Sailors for the Sea Japan has agreements, were invited to present their respective municipal initiatives and hold a talk session among themselves. By introducing a wide range of blue seafood examples from Japan and abroad, the day deepened understanding of sustainable seafood.

Young International Leaders Day

On Saturday, October 11, young leaders from around the world gathered from G7/G20 Youth Japan, the official youth organization of the G7/G20, to introduce their activities and report on the Y7 2025 Canada Summit. They shared examples of initiatives taken at the summit, including the development of a strategy to eliminate non-biodegradable microplastics.

Additionally, we invited guests Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the Democratic Party for the People; Mayu Sugisaki, Asia Business Development Manager at Forsea Foods; and Ryosuke Takashima, Mayor of Ashiya City, Hyogo Prefecture, for a special discussion. Focusing on the theme of “oceans,” each speaker shared their thoughts on Japan’s future from their own perspective.

Grand Finale: Ocean & Beyond

On Sunday, October 12, we invited a “dream team of ocean experts” to hold a talk session on how to preserve the ocean’s bounty for future generations. The four-hour event began with a video message from David Rockefeller Jr. and his wife, founder of Sailors for the Sea and Honorary Chairman of the Japan branch. The talk then featured interviews between Mr. Iue, Chairman of Sailors for the Sea Japan Branch, and the world’s top leaders. Special conversations were held with Jane Lubchenco, Distinguished Professor at Oregon State University, former Administrator of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and member of President Obama’s first science team; Charles Goddard, Founder of the World Ocean Summit and Editorial Director of Economist Impact; Mitsutaku Makino, Professor at the Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, and Director of the Ocean Policy Research Institute, Sasakawa Peace Foundation; Hiroshi Suzuki, Professor at the University of Tokyo and Specially Appointed Professor at Keio University; and Atsushi Sunami, Chairman of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation.

These speakers then held a high-level discussion, where they shared their views on the importance of creating social business mechanisms and the keyword “opportunity” in protecting and developing the oceans.

The event concluded with messages from Mori Masako, member of the House of Councillors and former Minister of Justice, and Ikenobo Senko, next head of the Ikenobo flower arrangement school and vice president, director and senior advisor of the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition. Closing remarks were then given by Saraya Yusuke, honorary chairman of BLUE OCEAN DOME and chairman of ZERI JAPAN, and Iue, bringing the BLUE OCEAN DOME events, which had been running for about six months, to a successful close.