Wakame seaweed, a specialty of Ainoshima Island, off the coast of Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture, is at its peak harvest.
Ainoshima Island, located off the coast of Kokurakita Ward, Kitakyushu City, has been shipping natural wakame seaweed harvested in the surrounding area as a specialty of the island for about 10 years.
Since the ban on fishing was lifted on March 1st, young fishermen have been harvesting wakame seaweed, and about 3 tons of wakame were harvested on this day as well.
At the processing plant, in the scent of the seashore, the islanders skillfully cut off unnecessary parts such as wakame stalks that were brought in one after another.
About 30 tons of wakame seaweed from Ainoshima are landed every year in about a month in spring, and some of it is provided for school lunches at elementary and junior high schools in Kitakyushu City.
Takashi Futami, the representative of the Ainoshima Revitalization Group, a company made up of Ainoshima fishermen, said, "This year's wakame seaweed is also thick and has a good taste and fragrance. It's made with the idea of local production for local consumption, so it's delicious for local children. I'm making it hard so that you can eat it," he said.
Harvesting of wakame on Ainoshima continues until the end of March, and the harvested wakame is salted and processed to be sold at supermarkets in the city.