It has been more than 30 years since UNCLOS was agreed upon to pass on healthy oceans to the next generation. In that time, the conservation of marine biodiversity and its sustainable use have taken on a great significance. While introducing a series of events at the UN, I would like to consider what role Japan should play in future.

Japan is surrounded by ocean where prime fishing grounds are found in oceanic front, such as off the coast of the Sanriku-Jouban area. Although large catches are landed at fishing ports in Japan, the production of fishing has declined drastically to half of the 1985. Furthermore, per capita seafood consumption among Japanese people is now less than for meat products. Meanwhile, seafood consumption around the world is on the rise. It is within the realm of possibility in the near future that we may no longer able to eat fish in Japanese style.

As Japan lacks salt resources and the climatic environment necessary for production of sun-dried salt, it has from ancient times employed a variety of methods to produce salt from seawater. In this article, along with introducing some of the many ideas and technological innovations behind the salt production methods used by our forebears and up to the present day, I would also like to introduce some of the unique cultural aspects concerning salt in Japan that stem from the perception of it as a precious and even sacred material.