The World's Only 'Uni Farm' Cultivates Overwhelming Sweetness and Umami! 'Hirono Uni Farm's Four-Year Uni,' Enriching the Sea with Every Bite, Released This Year

Hirono Uni Farm's Four-Year Uni

Kitasanriku Factory Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Hirono Town, Kunohe District, Iwate Prefecture; Representative Director: Yukinori Shimotsutsuji; hereinafter: Kitasanriku Factory) began shipping this season's 'Hirono Uni Farm's Four-Year Uni,' a specialty product of Hirono Town, Iwate Prefecture, on May 8, 2026. Sales are scheduled to continue until around mid-August.

◾️A Unique System that Balances 'Deliciousness' and 'Marine Regeneration'

In recent years, 'isoyake,' the desertification of the sea due to the disappearance of seaweed beds, which are spawning and growth grounds for fish, has become a serious problem worldwide. One of the causes is the 'feeding damage' where sea urchins consume all the seaweed, leading to sea urchin culling. However, most of the culled sea urchins grew in environments with insufficient food (seaweed), resulting in poor meat quality, and many are currently discarded.

Amidst this situation, Hirono Town has built a unique system that delivers delicious sea urchins to outside the region and creates economic value within the region, while solving the two problems of 'isoyake' and 'sea urchins with poor meat quality.'

<1. The World's Only 'Uni Farm®' (*1)>

The Uni Farm® was created in the late 1960s by fishermen who dug 178 trenches in a shallow rocky area, extending approximately 18 km in total. Natural seaweed flows into these trenches from offshore, making it a rich feeding ground for sea urchins where kelp thrives. Because it is an environment where delicious sea urchins grow splendidly, it came to be called 'Uni Farm,' following the example of farms for cattle and other animals.

(*1) World's only: According to our own research

Part of Uni Farm®

<2. Rearing of 'Juvenile Sea Urchins' at the Aquaculture Center>

In Tanohata Fishing Port in Hirono Town, there is a facility called the 'Sea Urchin Aquaculture Center,' which conducts land-based rearing of sea urchins from hatching until they reach one year of age. Sea urchins raised in an environment properly managed by experts grow to about 1 centimeter in size in one year.

Juvenile sea urchins growing at the Sea Urchin Aquaculture Center

<3. Two-Stage Rearing by Fishermen and Divers in Offshore and Uni Farm®>

Sea urchins raised at the Aquaculture Center are released into offshore fishing grounds by fishermen and divers, where they spend two years. After that, these sea urchins are moved to the Uni Farm®, where they feed sufficiently for one year in an environment where kelp thrives, resulting in top-quality sea urchins with excellent meat quality and umami after a total of four years. Sea urchins with poor meat quality that were born and raised offshore are also moved to the Uni Farm®. By appropriately thinning out sea urchins from offshore areas with less seaweed and raising them to be delicious, this also contributes to marine regeneration.

Work in offshore fishing grounds

<4. A Unique Cycle Managed by the Entire Community>

To deliver the finished sea urchins to customers in a state of exceptional freshness, in addition to the four-year cycle described above, various members from industry, government, and academia collaborate to strictly manage everything from landing and processing to shipping. This allows the entire community to realize sustainable sea urchin fishing that balances 'deliciousness' and 'marine regeneration.'

The 4-year cycle of 'Hirono Uni Farm's Four-Year Uni'

◾️Comment from Yukinori Shimotsutsuji, Representative Director of Kitasanriku Factory

'The long-awaited season for 'Hirono Uni Farm's Four-Year Uni' has arrived again this year. These sea urchins are the culmination of various miracles, including nature's bounty, the efforts of local people, and the culture of Uni Farm®. They are characterized by overwhelming sweetness and umami, and we are confident in their quality. May, when they are freshly released, is what we call 'Uni Nouveau,' a period when you can feel a refreshing sweetness and umami. It has a different charm from richness, so we hope you will enjoy the clear taste directly, ideally without seasoning.

We hope that by 'eating deliciously,' you will join our 'marine regeneration' efforts, so that we can leave delicious sea urchins and marine products, and a rich sea and region, for future generations.'

◾️How to Purchase

Official Online Shop: https://kitasanrikufactory-store.com/

Inquiries for restaurant and retailer representatives: info@kitasanrikufactory.co.jp

◾️About Kitasanriku Factory

Kitasanriku Factory is a leading sustainable seafood company that develops high-quality sea urchin brands in Hirono Town, Iwate Prefecture, which boasts the largest sea urchin catch in Honshu and has established sustainable sea urchin fisheries. With the mission of 'Enriching the world's oceans from Kitasanriku,' the company has accumulated expertise in cultivating high-quality sea urchins. It connects with the world through its new 'Sea Urchin Regeneration Aquaculture System' technology, promoting initiatives to create a sustainable future for the fishing industry. In 2023, it established an Australian subsidiary and is expanding its business both domestically and internationally. In February 2026, the first demonstration building for the large-scale land-based aquaculture project 'UNI-VERSE Site™ Hirono,' equipped with the Sea Urchin Regeneration Aquaculture System, was completed in Hirono Town.