In August 2025, Nichirei concluded a partnership agreement with Sumida Aquarium on biodiversity conservation. Nichirei is involved in ecosystem conservation activities in Ogasawara Village, Tokyo, where Nichirei's company-owned land is located.
In September, members of Nichirei's Sustainability Strategy Division and the Sumida Aquarium visited Chichijima Island in the Ogasawara Islands to conduct green turtle conservation activities and cleanups along the coast. It was an opportunity to reaffirm the significance of protecting the beautiful nature and creatures of the Ogasawara Islands.
Mr. Fujiwara, a staff member of the Sumida Aquarium, and Iizuka of Nichirei's Sustainability Strategy Division talked about next steps in biodiversity conservation through collaboration.
Nichirei Corporation
Sustainability Strategy Division.
Global
Sustainability Management Group
Assistant Leader
Yui Iizuka
Commonalities between Sumida Aquarium and Nichirei emerged through the collaboration
Q. The Sumida Aquarium has many exhibitions and events related to the Ogasawara Islands; when did you start these activities?
Fujiwara
Since its opening in 2012. The Ogasawara Islands are 1,000 km from central Tokyo, and it takes about 24 hours by boat to get there, making it difficult for many people to visit the islands. The year before we opened, the Ogasawara Islands were registered as a World Natural Heritage site, and our desire was to share the beautiful nature, ocean, and abundant wildlife of the Ogasawara Islands with the people of Tokyo.
Q. Could you tell us the background of the partnership agreement between the Sumida Aquarium and Nichirei regarding biodiversity conservation?
Fujiwara
The Sumida Aquarium has been working on the "AQTION!" program, which aims to encourage future generations of children to become more interested in biodiversity, the natural environment, and living creatures. As part of this effort, the aquarium has continued to promote the charms of the Ogasawara Islands, including exhibits in the “Ogasawara Sea Life,” where creatures that live in the Ogasawara Islands swim, and activities to preserve baby green sea turtles. In recent years, the museum has also established the "Ogasawara Base," a permanent exhibit that not only exhibits the creatures of the Ogasawara Islands, but also provides multifaceted information on industry, tourism, and education, and has worked with Ogasawara Village on events.
Newly established at the end of September 2023, the "Ogasawara base" is an area where visitors can experience the Ogasawara Islands up close and personal.
Fujiwara
Furthermore, since 2024, with the cooperation of Ogasawara Village and various related organizations, we have continued to hold the "Sumida Bonin Island" event every June to convey the charms of the Ogasawara Islands. Later, when we introduced the museum to Nichirei through the head of the Industry and Tourism Division of Ogasawara Village, Nichirei became interested in the activities of "AQTION!” project. This interest served as the catalyst for our deepening relationship.
Iizuka
That's right. Nichirei has been using company-owned land on Chichijima for nature conservation and community activities, etc. Since 2022, we have established Nichirei Group Sustainability Policy, "The Nichirei Pledge" and are working to achieve a sustainable society, cooperating with communities, addressing climate change, and conserving biodiversity, etc.
During this, we came to know about Sumida Aquarium’s sustainability promotion project, "AQTION!". We felt that by collaborating with Sumida Aquarium, we could take on new initiatives that would be difficult for a single company to accomplish alone. This led to the decision to enter into an agreement.
Q. Please tell us what you two felt after the agreement was signed.
Fujiwara
I knew about Nichirei through their frozen foods and marine products, but it was through this agreement that I learned about the history of the company's property on Chichijima and their various businesses. It was a series of surprises and discoveries to learn that Nichirei is involved in many kinds of businesses I never imagined.
Iizuka
I am glad to hear you say so. The Nichirei Group is engaged in a wide range of global businesses centered on food, including not only the foods business but also the logistics business. Our businesses are dependent on the bounties of the Earth generated from biodiversity, including agricultural, livestock, and fishery resources. In other words, "biodiversity conservation" is an integral part of our business. Nichirei is pleased to be working together with the Sumida Aquarium, which has been promoting the attractiveness of Ogasawara's wildlife and conservation activities on Chichijima Island, where the company owns land. Thinking about it, I realized that there were points of contact and similarities between the Sumida Aquarium and Nichirei that I had not been aware of before.
Conservation activities experienced by going, seeing, and touching
Q. What have you been working on together since the agreement was signed?
Iizuka
The timing of the return of the green sea turtles "Heart" and "Rock" raised by the staff of the Sumida Aquarium into the waters of the local Ogasawara was just the month following the signing of the agreement, so we were able to accompany them for the event. We thought “We had to go and experience it first!" We were able to learn about the ecology of the endangered green turtles through the experience of shell cleaning, feeding, and egg burial. This experience made me realize once again that the beautiful and rich nature of Ogasawara Village nurtures and protects wildlife.
At the "Ogasawara Base," you can watch the "Asahi" and "Yuhi" of the newly-receiving green sea turtles for about a year starting in September 2025.
Fujiwara
When we learned that Nichirei would be accompanying us on the site visit, we were amazed at how active they were. In October, we also launched the "Ogasawara Marker" workshop for children to learn about biodiversity. Parents and children work together to complete the markers (paper clips) while learning about the characteristics of the creatures that live in the Ogasawara Islands. We distributed them on Chichijima as well, and they were very well received. We believe that this was an opportunity for the children to feel the importance of nature and local communities.
In addition to the Ogasawara Markers (left), which parents and children can make together, an original leaflet (right) was created to introduce the partnership agreement between the Sumida Aquarium and Nichirei and their activities.
Q. Did you have any realizations or new insights after actually visiting Ogasawara Village?
Iizuka
This was my first visit to Ogasawara Village, and I was surprised by the abundance of nature both along the coast and on land. In talking with the local people, I could sense that each one of them loves the Ogasawara Islands and has a strong desire to protect nature and its wildlife. There are several fans of the Ogasawara Islands within our company, and I had heard that the islands have a unique charm that can only be found here. I think I now understand what they meant.
Fujiwara
I am glad that you were able to experience the Ogasawara Islands to the fullest! I myself have visited the Ogasawara Islands more than 10 times, and every time I see the deep, clear, blue sea called Bonin blue and the islands floating there from the boat, I get excited. It takes a long time to get there, but when I actually go, the distance and the length of my stay seem even more appealing. I think it is a fascinating island where new discoveries are made every time I visit.
Finding what we can do together for the conservation of biodiversity
Q. Finally, what are your thoughts on your next activities?
Fujiwara
Going forward, I would first like people to learn what the Ogasawara Islands are like and what they can offer. I hope this will inspire people to start thinking about what they can do to preserve the richness of the islands and their natural environment. Because Nichirei is willing to take on new challenges, I strongly hope that we can realize many things together. We would like to continue to make this collaboration meaningful by combining our know-how and knowledge.
Iizuka
We are inspired every day by the love for living things shown by every staff of the Sumida Aquarium. We are very honored to be able to work together with people who are sincerely concerned about nature and living creatures. First of all, It would be wonderful if we could also consider activities for adults, such as organizing study sessions for employees to learn about the charms of Ogasawara Village and the significance of biodiversity. We at Nichirei will continue to explore what we can do to conserve the biodiversity of Ogasawara Village, and we look forward to your continued support!
