Japan’s Oyster Farmers Hit by Kamchatka Quake Tsunami Begin Restoration Work in Mie, Miyagi Prefectures

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:43 JST, August 5, 2025

TOBA, Mie/KESENNUMA, Miyagi — Oyster farmers along Japan’s coast damaged by the tsunami triggered by the earthquake off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula have begun efforts to restore operations.

Oyster farmers in the Uramura-cho district of Toba, Mie Prefecture, began work to return the drifted rafts to their original positions on Monday. According to a local fisheries cooperative and others, approximately 400 of the 2,000 rafts were swept toward the bay as the tsunami moved their anchors. The condition of sea oysters is unknown.

Divers submerged about 10 meters and cut through the tangled anchor ropes with knives. Approximately 70 farmers pulled the anchors onto fishing boats and returned some of the rafts to their original positions. The work is expected to take about a month to complete.

Daisuke Asao, 46, a member of the local oyster association, said: “The ropes are tangled in a complex manner, making it a difficult task. We want to promptly restore operations so that it does not affect full-scale shipment from October.”

Aquaculture operators on Oshima Island in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, have launched a crowdfunding campaign aiming to raise ¥10 million toward restoration.

At Kaneki Suisan, an aquaculture business operator in the island’s Sotohama district, most of the around 50 rafts were either swept away by about 30 meters or sank. Restoration is expected to take over two months.

Ryota Komatsu, 26, sixth-generation owner of the business, said: “This area has good tidal flow, allowing us to cultivate high-quality oysters. We ask for your cooperation so that we can continue to deliver delicious oysters.”