Kanazawa Hachimi

The SDGs Yokohama Kanazawa Living Lab, where local businesses, citizens, and teachers work together based in Kanazawa ward, Yokohama, makes use of the eelgrass (seaweed that grows in the sea) as fertilizer, grows vegetables such as chili at local farms and creates a unique seasoning called “Kanazawa Hachimi” with elementary school students. It consists of eight kinds of ingredients (Chinpi, Shiso, Shiitake powder, Kombu powder, Sansho, Ginger, Black sesame, Aosa) and five of those including chilis are locally produced in Kanazawa ward.

In the project, students at the local Segasaki Elementary School were involved in growing vegetables, designing product package and dealing with sales as part of the “Hamako Future Company Project”, a career education program promoted by Yokohama City.

Kanazawa ward has Yokohama’s only beach “Umino Park.” Thanks to the continuing efforts to regenerate the decreasing eelgrass grounds in the sea park since 2001, eelgrass have been rejuvenated throughout the entire area. It plays an important role in water purification and ocean ecosystem preservation. However, before the beach opens in July, the city thin out them to secure swimming areas and preserve the ecosystem in the ocean every year.

The city of Yokohama have burned the thinned eel but facing the problems that eelgrass contains a lot of salt and cause the damage to the incinerator. This circular project was born to explore the effective use of the discarded eel.

1. Use eelgrass to be discarded as fertilizer

Using the local eelgrass to be discarded as fertilizer, this circular agricultural project shows the potential of ensuring beach safety and odor problems caused by excessive breeding of eelgrass, while reducing administrative costs for incinelation at the same time.

2. Children involved in farming and product development

The project has been conducted along with a career education program by involving local elementary school students in growing vegetables using eelgrass fertilizers. Through the product development process, it creates a space for diverse local people from children to seniors to get involved in.

3.Built on the strength that Kanazawa has both the sea and farmland

This project builds on a unique strength that Kanazawa has both the only beach in Yokohama and has farmland inland. This is a good example which shows that a sustainable circular economy requires consistency with regional characteristics.