Kobe Suma SeaWorld Releases Endangered Kawabata Moroko into Mitsubishi Electric Kobe Plant Biotope for Ex-Situ Conservation, Held Succession Ceremony on June 10, 2026

Kobe Suma SeaWorld (Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture; Director: Yoshiaki Nakano), operated by Granvista Hotel & Resort Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Yukio Arai), held a Kawabata Moroko succession ceremony on Wednesday, June 10, 2026. The event involved providing and releasing 25 individuals of Kawabata Moroko bred at the aquarium into the biotope located within the premises of Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Executive Officer, President and CEO: Kei Urima) Kobe Plant (Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture; Plant Manager: Masafumi Matsumoto).

Photo: Releasing Kawabata Moroko into the biotope during the succession ceremony

Kawabata Moroko is a freshwater fish endemic to Japan. It is classified as Endangered IB on the 2020 Japanese Ministry of the Environment Red List and as Rank A on the 2025 Kobe City Red List. Kobe Suma SeaWorld has continued conservation efforts for Kawabata Moroko populations within Kobe City, inherited from its predecessor, the Kobe Municipal Suma Seaside Aquarium.

As part of ex-situ conservation initiatives, 25 individuals of Kawabata Moroko bred at our facility were provided and released into the biotope at the Mitsubishi Electric Kobe Plant. This biotope was constructed primarily to conserve rare aquatic species, with Kawabata Moroko as a focal point, and recreates the satoyama landscape of Kobe. Kobe Suma SeaWorld will continue to monitor and observe the establishment status of the released Kawabata Moroko.

Kobe Suma SeaWorld will continue its efforts to conserve local wildlife and strive to contribute to a sustainable and better future.

【About Kawabata Moroko】

Japanese name: Kawabata Moroko

English name: Golden venus chub

Scientific name: Hemigrammocypris neglectus

Habitat: Lakes, ponds, and irrigation channels in western Honshu (west of the Chubu region), Setouchi-side Shikoku, and northwestern Kyushu.

In recent years, due to environmental changes, its population has rapidly declined. Within Kobe City, the species is on the verge of extinction, requiring urgent and stringent conservation measures.

【About the Biotope at Mitsubishi Electric Kobe Plant】

Constructed in March 2026, primarily for the ex-situ conservation of the endangered Kawabata Moroko.

Recreates Kobe's satoyama landscape, including mixed forests, retention ponds, and rice paddy embankments.

【About Mitsubishi Electric Kobe Plant】

The Kobe Plant began operations in 1921 (Taisho 10). It is the birthplace of Mitsubishi Electric and a historic factory with over 100 years of operation. The plant develops, manufactures, and provides products, systems, and services essential for building and maintaining social infrastructure, including water and sewage systems, transportation, and disaster prevention.

Granvista Hotel & Resort Co., Ltd.

Granvista Hotel & Resort owns Sapporo Grand Hotel, Hokkaido's first full-scale Western-style hotel, known as the 'Northern Reception Hall.' Through operating various facilities nationwide—including city hotels, business hotels, hot spring inns, comprehensive marine leisure facilities, golf courses, and highway restaurants—the company conducts hotel management and entrusted operations, growing alongside local communities.

Company Name: Granvista Hotel & Resort Co., Ltd.
Head Office: S-GATE Otemachi North 5F, 2-3-4 Uchikanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Founded: August 27, 1958
Capital: 100 million yen
President and CEO: Yukio Arai
TEL: 03-5209-4121 (main)
URL: https://www.granvista.co.jp/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/granvista.co.jp
X: https://twitter.com/granvistaTW
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/granvistahotelsandresorts/

Sapporo Grand Hotel / Sapporo Park Hotel / Kumamoto Hotel Castle (affiliated facility) / Hotel InterGate Kyoto Shijo-Shinmachi / Hotel InterGate Tokyo Kyobashi / Hotel InterGate Hiroshima / Hotel InterGate Kanazawa / Hotel InterGate Osaka Umeda / Ginza Grand Hotel / Caption by Hyatt Namba Osaka / Kyoto Machiya Nijo Sawaragi no Yado / Kyoto Machiya Gion Yasaka no Yado / Shiraraso Grand Hotel / Hotel Yumoto Noboribetsu / BLISSTIA SUITES & RESORT Okinawa Onna Village (scheduled to open July 2026) / YOKI MATSUSHIMA (scheduled to open August 2026) / Katsuura SeaWorld / Katsuura SeaWorld Hotel / Kobe Suma SeaWorld / Kobe Suma SeaWorld Hotel / Tomakomai Golf Resort 72 / Sano Highway Restaurant / Ashigara Highway Restaurant / Otsu Highway Restaurant /

Kobe Suma SeaWorld

Kobe Suma SeaWorld features the only orca performance in western Japan, a buffet restaurant where guests can dine while watching orcas, and the world's first educational zone dedicated to learning about orca ecology. As a 'connected edutainment aquarium' that fuses learning (Education) and entertainment (Entertainment), it provides opportunities for both adults and children to enjoy and learn simultaneously.

※Kobe Suma SeaWorld is a group facility of Granvista Hotel & Resort.

Name: Kobe Suma SeaWorld
Address: 1-3-5 Wakahara-cho, Suma-ku, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture 654-0049
Founded: June 1, 2024
Closed: Irregular holidays
Operating Hours: Weekdays 10:00–18:00
Weekends and Holidays 10:00–20:00 *Subject to seasonal changes
TEL: 078-731-7301
URL: https://www.kobesuma-seaworld.jp/
X: https://x.com/Kobe_SumaSea
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kobe_sumasea/