Registration Opens for "Sakanatabi" Summer Sanriku Tour 2026, an Ocean Experience and Future-Building Program for High School and University Students

The General Incorporated Association Gyogyobu (Representative Director: Keisuke Konishi) will hold the [Summer Sanriku Tour (Iwate) 2026] of its experiential learning tour "Sakanatabi" for the next generation of high school and university students from Monday, August 3 to Tuesday, August 4, 2026. This two-day tour offers a chance to experience the sea and fishing industry firsthand and interact with local producers to contemplate the future of a sustainable ocean and primary industries. Registration for participants begins today. This tour is a project subsidized by The Nippon Foundation. ■ What is "Sakanatabi"? (https://sakanatabi.net/) "Sakanatabi" is a tour program that immerses young people in the communities that live by the sea, fostering them to think about output and action through fishing experiences and regional exchanges. It goes beyond a simple experiential event, aiming to develop future-oriented leadership through output work (experience- and proposal-sharing activities) that connects learning and action. ■ Sakanatabi Summer Sanriku Tour (Iwate) 2026 Overview [Dates] August 3 (Mon) - August 4 (Tue), 2026 [Location] Iwate Prefecture (Kamaishi City, Ofunato City) [Target] High school to university/graduate students (assuming participants from the Tokyo metropolitan area and the Sanriku region) [Capacity] Up to 20 people *If applications exceed capacity, participants will be selected by the organizer based on their motivation. *The final number may vary depending on hosting capacity and other conditions. [Participation Fee] ● Participants with accommodation: ¥15,000 (tax included) Includes accommodation, meals (1 breakfast, 2 lunches, 1 dinner), and program experience fees. ● Participants without accommodation (local residents/commuters): ¥8,000 (tax included) *A transportation subsidy of up to ¥10,000 is available for those arriving by Shinkansen. [Organizer] General Incorporated Association Gyogyobu [Subsidy] The Nippon Foundation [Local Tour Operator] Kamaishi Travel Center Co., Ltd. ■ Program Details (Tentative) [August 3 (Mon) Day 1] (Tokyo group) JR Tohoku Shinkansen Hayabusa 101 for Morioka, depart Tokyo 07:16 → arrive Shin-Hanamaki 09:50. Meet at Shin-Hanamaki station ticket gate at 9:55 → travel by bus (break at Michi-no-Eki Tono Kaze no Oka). Around 11:50 Activity 1) Scallop Cruise & Lunch BBQ with a representative Iwate fisherman: In Koishihama, Ofunato City, we will be welcomed by fisherman Jun Sasaki (Chairman of the Iwate Prefecture Fishermen's Association) and his wife Isabel, who cultivate scallops and have branded "Koishihama Scallops." We will board a fishing boat for a bay cruise to see the ear-hanging scallop cultivation. On land, we will also have lunch and a scallop BBQ tasting! Around 14:30 Activity 2) Visit a mussel farm at Kamaishi Toni Bay Fishery: Visit Kamaishi Toni Bay and board a boat with Mr. Sasaki, the head of the mussel farming cooperative, and others to see the farm. When high water temperatures caused mass scallop deaths, the mussels survived. A mussel farming cooperative was established in 2022 to cultivate them. We will hear about this new challenge in adapting to ocean warming. Around 16:00 Activity 3) Learning about the Sanriku sea and ecosystem in Kamaishi/Otsuchi (details being arranged): We plan to visit a university/academic institution in the Kamaishi/Otsuchi area. Information will be posted as soon as details are finalized. Around 18:00 Arrive in Kamaishi and check into the hotel. Around 19:00 Activity 4) Dinner: Enjoy a Kamaishi local fish dinner while interacting with fishermen: Mr. Hiroshi Sasaki, a representative pot fisherman of Kamaishi, will provide local fish, which Mr. Toru Miyagawa of Wa no Zen Miyagawa will prepare into wonderful dishes. Let's listen to the fishermen's stories while savoring the treasures of the Sanriku sea, such as Donko (dusky gaper) and Ainame (fat greenling), which can only be eaten here. [August 4 (Tue) Day 2] Around 7:30 Activity 5) Purple Sea Urchin Shucking Experience at Osaki Shirahama Fishing Port: Sea urchin fishing is symbolic of the Sanriku fishing ports in summer. We will visit Kamaishi Osaki Shirahama Fishing Port to observe the post-catch work of fresh morning sea urchins. We will see the process from the baskets of sea urchins caught by fishermen in the early morning bay, the teamwork of shucking them, to shipping. Afterwards, we will learn about the ecology of sea urchins and experience shucking a whole one ourselves. Activity 6) Breakfast: Savor a fresh sea urchin rice bowl!: We will have a breakfast of sea urchin rice bowls made from the fresh urchins we shucked ourselves. Let's enjoy the fresh bounty of the sea! 10:30 Activity 7) Observing the shipping process, including the "Swimming Scallop" holding tank: The live "Swimming Scallops" are a registered trademark of Yamakiichi Shoten in Kamaishi City, Iwate. They are so fresh when shipped directly nationwide that they are said to be still "swimming" by opening and closing their shells when the box is opened, and are praised for their umami and elegant sweetness. We will be guided through parts of the holding tank and shipping process and hear from President Kimigahora. Around 11:30 Lunch: Yosuke (a restaurant run by the Swimming Scallop company): At the adjacent restaurant Yosuke, we will have an exquisite scallop lunch featuring fried scallops, sashimi, side dishes, and more. Around 12:30 Activity 8) Thinking about actions for the future and challenges of Sanriku, the sea, and fisheries: A session to share insights and learnings from the two days in groups and consolidate them into future actions while reflecting on the Sanriku fisheries industry. This is an important conclusion to reflect on the experience and deepen it in our own words. Around 15:30 Depart from the site: Travel by bus to Shin-Hanamaki → return to Tokyo by Shinkansen from Shin-Hanamaki. JR Tohoku Shinkansen Hayabusa 110 for Tokyo, depart Shin-Hanamaki 17:18 → arrive Tokyo 19:56 *Please note that the program content may change due to weather or the producers' schedules. This tour is designed to provide participants with the opportunity to acquire the "power to communicate with society" through workshops to verbalize their learnings, presentations on future proposals, and post-tour action/project implementation, ensuring the experience is more than just a memory. It will be an experience to take the first step as a "protagonist creating the future." For details, please see the "Sakanatabi" homepage. ■ How to Apply Please fill out the necessary information and apply from the dedicated form below. ▶︎ [Application Form URL] https://forms.gle/o56CQDshYoLck7zj6 *Application Deadline: June 30, 2026 (Tue) *Applications may close before the deadline if capacity is reached. ■ Inquiries about this matter General Incorporated Association Gyogyobu "Sakanatabi" Office Attn: Keisuke Konishi / Miho Matsuda email: sakanatabi@gyogyobu.jp ■ About General Incorporated Association Gyogyobu The General Incorporated Association Gyogyobu is a group of diverse members from different industries promoting projects that contribute to next-generation development and sustainable seas, centered on marine education, fishing experiences, and promoting the appeal of regional resources. We are developing activities that serve as a bridge connecting regions and cities, and the sea and people, for the future. Official Website: https://www.gyogyobu.jp *The contents of this release are subject to change. Please check the official website and application page for the latest information.