#Pasona #UOYA #Tohoku Fisheries

Revitalizing Fisheries Through Innovation

On September 5, Pasona Agricultural Support Team launched a significant project called UOYA, designed to promote fish processing products from areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake. This initiative, under the auspices of the Fisheries Agency, targets the comprehensive recovery of the fisheries industry in the Tohoku region, focusing on its 39 fish processing companies.

Pasona Agricultural Support Team, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, has been engaged in nourishing the agricultural sector by developing new farmers, creating job opportunities, facilitating branding for agricultural products, and supporting sales channel development. They have also been processing and selling low-grade vegetables from their farms, serving as a model case for the sixth sector industrialization. Additionally, they operate a web media platform called Temahima Online, which highlights the stories and dedication of agricultural producers across Japan.

Post-earthquake, while the fisheries sector has made strides in recovering equipment and product development, they still face challenges in securing and expanding sales channels. The goal is not only to increase the number of buyers but also to enhance the value of fish products by leveraging regional characteristics, thus establishing stable and diverse sales routes crucial for revenue growth.

The UOYA project intends to apply the sales channel development and branding knowledge acquired in agriculture to the fisheries industry, collaborating with enterprises along the Tohoku coastline to innovate and create value. Through participation in department store events and gourmet exhibitions, as well as partnerships with e-commerce sites, the project aims to support product development and expand sales channels, addressing the sales challenges that persist over a decade after the disaster and working towards building a sustainable regional economy.

Through this initiative, Pasona Agricultural Support Team aspires to assign new value to local products and deliver them to consumers nationwide and overseas, thereby establishing a sustainable business model and contributing to the development of regional economies by supporting the challenges faced by individuals in the primary industry.

Overview of the UOYA Project

Start Date: September 5
Content: Collaborating with fish processing businesses affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, the project will support the development of new and rebranded products. Significant activities through which new consumer connections will be created include:

• - Organizing event exhibitions in department stores (planned in Kansai and the metropolitan area)
• - Collaboration with e-commerce sites and free shipping campaigns
• - Promoting the maker's stories through web and social media platforms.

Concept: Redesigning the relationship between fish and the dining table.

Message: "With the words 'Itadakimasu', our daily meals become part of us. The ingredients used carry the hopes and warmth of many people, akin to the feelings of those preparing meals for their loved ones. UOYA wishes to embody this familial connection surrounding fish."

Participating Enterprises:

The project involves 39 fish processing companies located in the disaster-affected areas of Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima, Ibaraki, and Chiba.

• - Obisuya (Fukushima Prefecture): Reviving