The tiny black larvae that attach to the shells will be harvested from the salty lagoon in about 18 months as full-grown oysters. But first they have to survive an increasingly hostile marine environment that in recent years has withered production and rattled fishermen around the country.
The subsequent rise in fresh seafood costs is hitting Japanese consumers and merchants hard. In May, food inflation hit a 47-year high, with the price of fish climbing 14.8% compared with a year earlier and outpacing an 8.6% rise in meat prices. Changes in the natural environment are not limited to temperatures. Some fishermen bemoan more frequent regional red tides, toxic blooms of phytoplankton that can harm sea creatures. Fluctuations in significant ocean currents around Japan can also affect water temperatures and the activity of local species.
, by comparison, feels more dire than tsunamis or changing tides in Maisaka, where many are doubtful the Japanese government will be able to offer much help. This year, they switched to a flat wire net, laid atop a batch of young clams collected from around Lake Hamana and placed in the water three weeks before. On a blistering August afternoon, Yusuke Kawai, 42, unpinned the metal netting and gathered the clams in his hands for inspection. Many were already dead.
But over the last two years, his haul has dwindled to nearly nothing. Now, he's supplementing his income by fishing anchovies and growing laver, the edible fronds of seaweed that make nori, another staple of Japanese cuisine commonly used in sushi rolls. He started learning how to raise glass eels last year as well.