Consuming 7.5 billion tons of marine products each year, Japan is the largest fish-eating country in the world. As an island nation where only 20% of the land is viable for use in agriculture, it’s quite understandable why the national choice in diet is so heavily entwined with fishing.

Despite all this, the maintenance of Japan’s fishing industry is under threat as global warming leads to rises in sea levels and catches decrease due to seawater pollution. Additionally, the rapid aging community of those with knowledge in the industry has led to a sudden shortage of successors.
However, it’s not all doom and gloom, with interests in fishing as a leisure activity having grown during the pandemic, as well as an increase in popularity of aquariums and demands for ornamental tropical fish racking up prices.

Both these threats and revival of interests in fish and related activities have led to Mizuno Gakuen’s proposal of a new school; ‘Japan Fish College’ which will allow individuals to learn in depth about fish, fishing culture and sustainability.

Japan Fish College will be Japan’s first vocational school where students can gain comprehensive and professional study of ‘fish’. The course will include classes that cover fishing, aquaculture, cooking processes, distribution, environment and tourism leisure relating to fish and the fishing industry.
The school is currently undergoing approval from educational bodies and is scheduled to open in April of 2023.

The school will be Mizuno Gakuen’s fifth vocational school in addition to Vocational school Hiko Mizuno Jewelry College Tokyo, Vocational school Hiko Mizuno Jewelry College Osaka, Tokyo Cycle Design College and Tokyo Sushi and Washoku Japanese Cooking College.

Kanagawa prefecture officially approved the school’s establishment on the 3rd of August 2021, with Mizuno Gakuen currently undertaking preparations that will lead to the opening of the school in 19 months.

A school opening briefing session will be held for those in education, media and the fishing industry on the 17th and 28th of September. The briefing will be held through zoom. Reservation for the briefing can be made through the school’s website here.

Japan Fish College school briefing session

Contents: School establishment explanation, curriculum introduction, school principal greeting.

Dates and times:
17 September 2021, 11:00 – 11:30
28 September 2021, 16:30 – 17:00

Japan Fish College

Opening: Scheduled to open in April of 2023
Proposed building site: Misaki area, Miura City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Principal: Eiichi Matsuyama
Proposed courses:
Department of Marine Biology (3 years)
Department of Marine Biological Studies (4 year system)