Shikokuchuo City's Sea Folk Tale Animation "Taiyose Ishi" Collaborates with Local Companies! Broadcasts of Courtesy Visit and Screening Event, Launching Two Types of Collaboration Products

The "Sea Folktale Town Project," led by the Japan Mukashibanashi Association, aired 42 broadcasts of a courtesy visit and screening on Shikokuchuo TV’s "Cosmos Channel" from February 5 to March 22. This was part of a collaboration featuring the folktale "Taiyose Ishi" (The Sea Bream-Attracting Stone) from Shikokuchuo City, Ehime Prefecture. Additionally, collaborative products with local companies—"Hiuchi-hime Iriko" from Okura Minoru Shoten and the famous confection "Shiokumi" from Kasho Tatsunoya—have been on sale since Wednesday, February 4, 2026.

This initiative is part of The Nippon Foundation’s "Sea and Japan Project," which aims to connect people through the ocean to pass on a rich and beautiful sea to the next generation.

### About "Hiuchi-hime Iriko" and "Meika Shiokumi" **<Collaboration Overview>** * **Product Name:** Hiuchi-hime Iriko (Dried Sardines) * **Release Date:** Wednesday, February 4, 2026 * **Price:** 1,000 yen (tax included) * **Sales Locations:** Various locations throughout the city

* **Product Name:** Meika Shiokumi (Famous Confection) * **Release Date:** Wednesday, February 4, 2026 * **Price:** 2,450 yen for a box of 15 (tax included) * **Sales Location:** Kasho Tatsunoya

Each product features a sticker depicting a scene from the animation, such as fishing scenes or the impressive moment the "Taiyose Ishi" was discovered. Through these products, customers can experience both the charm of Shikokuchuo City and the world of its folktales. We hope this initiative encourages people to feel a closer connection to Shikokuchuo City and the legend of "Taiyose Ishi."

### Broadcast of the Animation Completion Courtesy Visit and Screening on "Cosmos Channel"! Shikokuchuo TV’s local "Cosmos Channel" aired the courtesy visit and screening a total of 42 times between February 5 and March 22. The program featured the presentation of the "Sea Folktale Town" certification and the completed animation DVD, a screening of the "Sea Folktale" animation, and free-talk sessions regarding future screenings and fieldwork, raising local expectations for the project's future use.

Mayor Kenji Onishi attended the event and provided the following comment:

**<Comment from Mayor Kenji Onishi>** "The animation is told from a child's perspective and is excellent. By carefully depicting the lifestyles and values of the past—which are difficult for modern children to imagine—and conveying them to the youth, I feel this has been established as a meaningful folktale with great reach. I also feel a mysterious sense of fate that this project coincided with Ehime’s initiatives regarding 'Tai-meshi' (sea bream rice), making this a wonderful opportunity to reaffirm our connection with Shikokuchuo City."

Following the screening, a fieldwork session was held where participants visited the actual "Taiyose Ishi" and the "Shiokumi" area, where the village headman is said to have walked. Visiting the actual sites deepened their understanding and provided a valuable learning opportunity.

**<Comments from Participating Children>** * "I understood clearly how much the village headman cared about the sea bream." * "I’ve always wanted to see the real Taiyose Ishi, so I’m glad I finally saw it." * "It was fun to see with my own eyes why there is a hollow in the stone." * "Going to the actual place after watching the animation made the story so much easier to understand."

### <Taiyose Ishi> Information about the Sea Folktale animation "Taiyose Ishi" and Shikokuchuo City can be found here: [https://uminominwa.jp/animation/112/](https://uminominwa.jp/animation/112/)

### <Organization Overview> * **Organization Name:** Japan Mukashibanashi Association (General Incorporated Association) * **URL:** [https://www.nippon-mukashibanashi.or.jp/](https://www.nippon-mukashibanashi.or.jp/)

**The Nippon Foundation "Sea Folktale Town Project"** To convey Japan’s deep connection with the sea and local pride to children and preserve it for the future, this project selects high-value stories containing "ocean learning" from intangible cultural heritage folktales across Japan. These are turned into "Sea Folktale Animations" to be archived for the next generation. Additionally, the regions where these tales have been passed down are certified as "Sea Folktale Towns" to promote PR and local utilization.

* **Japan Mukashibanashi Association Official Site:** [https://www.nippon-mukashibanashi.or.jp/](https://www.nippon-mukashibanashi.or.jp/) * **Official Project HP:** [https://uminominwa.jp/](https://uminominwa.jp/) * **YouTube:** [https://www.youtube.com/@uminominwa](https://www.youtube.com/@uminominwa) * **X (formerly Twitter):** [https://x.com/uminominwa](https://x.com/uminominwa)

**The Nippon Foundation "Sea and Japan Project"** The ocean supports Japanese life in various ways, providing peace of mind, excitement, and inspiration. This project is an all-Japan effort to encourage people, especially children, to view issues like environmental degradation as their own concern and to expand the circle of action to pass the sea on to the future. [https://uminohi.jp/](https://uminohi.jp/)