Recently, long-established Onsen Ryokans (Japnese hotel) throughout Japan have been acquired one after another by national chains of resort budget Ryokans. They offer unbeatable rates than before, and the meals are cheap and a treat. However, I must confess that I do not find them very appealing. I go to distant hot spring resorts not only for the hot springs and the scenery, but also to enjoy the locally prepared fish, meat, and vegetables. I want to enjoy local cuisine that I can’t get anywhere else. The food served at the national chain resort budget ryokan is probably farm-raised fish, so the fact that the fish is not raised on natural food is also not appetizing.

Now a neighboring country has banned 100% of seafood imports from Japan. However, rather than fish being overfished, it may be a good thing that the import/export restrictions reduce the amount of fish caught and consumed. It is still better to eat fish locally.

Globalization has reduced regional disparities among people around the world. Now, no matter where you are in the world (with a few exceptions), you can get supplies cheaply and safely. People anywhere in the world now have instant access to the same information as people in other parts of the world, thanks to Amazon, Google, and others. Globalization has drastically changed the industrial structure of the world.

But I am bored with global services that are “the same anywhere, anytime”. I want to receive “different” service, even if it is a little inconvenient or a little expensive. If the Sanuki udon I get in Kagawa is the same as the Sanuki udon I get in Tokyo, I am not impressed. Pork buns from “551 Horai” are not sold in local areas (including Tokyo), so there are long lines at both Itami Airport and Shin-Osaka. That’s fine, please don’t expand nationwide.

The area where the nuclear power plant is located is not to be missed, it is very scenic. And the local fish is delicious. Flathead flounder from Hamadori, northern bluefin tuna from Kashiwazaki, saury from Onagawa, and mackerel from Wakasa are said to be delicious. Let’s consume them in Japan, not export them.

Raman microscopes are also fresh and safe domestically produced. At a recent JASIS exhibition, a customer told us that our products are safe because they are made in Japan. Nanophoton, the only Raman microscope manufacturer in the world, grows its products in Japan and sells them from Japan.

Let’s do, Local Production for Local Consumption.

11 September, 2023
Nanophoton Corporation
Chairman and Representative, Satoshi Kawata