Kura Sushi Inc., a renowned sushi restaurant in Japan, was the first to grow young sea bream in tanks until they are ready to be used in sushi restaurants. This is to deal with the dwindling quantity of fish caught in Japan. In June 2019, the restaurant started nourishing red sea bream in Anan, Tokushima Prefecture. The restaurant will also start farming “hamachi,” or amberjack. They intend to grow juvenile fish that weigh less than 300 grams until they reach more than 1 kilogram. The developed fish will be used in 2021 at Kura Sushi restaurants.

According to Kura Sushi, an approximate 10 tons of young amberjack and 1 ton of young red sea bream are caught in a year. Tons of immature fish that are not apt for sushi is used to create cutlets and other cuisines. Based on the annual report of the Fisheries Agency, the local production reached the highest point at 12.8 million tons in 1984 and 4.3 million tons in 2017. Moreover, the global demand for fishery products and prices for famous fish used for sushi have increased. Hiroyuki Hisamune, Kura Sushi’s executive director, said, “I want to provide those grown fish along with products customers have already eaten up till now. I also hope to maintain the current price range.” He also wished to raise the quantity of fish in Kura Sushi farms and diversify the kinds of fish it farms depending on the project’s advancement.