Amid the rise in popularity of local farmed salmon brands in various parts of Japan in recent years, a restaurant owner on the Kagawa Prefecture island of Naoshima is pitching salmon farmed off the western Japan island as a new local specialty that can lure tourists.
Kenji Horiuchi, who runs a restaurant near the island's Miyanoura port, is engaged in the fisheries business and also farms flounder.
Utilizing his expertise, he began farming salmon in the spring of last year after receiving 5-centimeter salmon fry from Kagawa Prefecture's fisheries research facility. It turned out to be a success and Horiuchi decided to sell the salmon as a local specialty, branding it "Naoshima salmon."
Horiuchi's farm starts out using fresh water drawn from a well, taking into consideration the habits of farm-raised salmon, before gradually switching to seawater as the fish grow. He is currently raising about 2,000 salmon, the largest weighing about 1.5 kilograms.
At his restaurant, fresh salmon from the farm is served as sashimi and is well-received by customers for its rich fattiness and slightly sweet taste.
Horiuchi is also considering selling sandwiches, fried fish, smoked salmon and other items for take-out, as well as vacuum-packed products for those looking for souvenirs to take home.
"I hope customers will enjoy the food while soaking in the artwork and the scenery of the islands and vessels, and that this will make their trip an enjoyable and memorable one," he said.
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