Eat, Play, LearnThe Nippon Foundation Spring Festival to Protect the Ocean in Setouchi
The Nippon Foundation Spring Festival to Protect the Ocean in Setouchi, a hands-on event to raise awareness of ocean debris in the Seto Inland Sea, was held on March 1-2 in Okayama Prefecture and March 15-16 in Hiroshima Prefecture. This free event was held in cooperation with three local sushi restaurant chains, with the aim of giving people hands-on experiences to understand the importance of protecting the ocean. These included quiz contests, opportunities to learn about the problem of ocean debris while playing games, and offerings of delicious sushi.
The Nippon Foundation and four prefectures bordering the Seto Inland Sea – Okayama, Hiroshima, Kagawa, and Ehime – launched the Setouchi Oceans X project in 2020 to promote measures to address the issue of ocean debris in the region, which receives relatively little inflow of debris from the outside ocean. Part of this project has been a campaign to promote awareness among children that if they reduce the amount of trash in the areas where they live, the amount of ocean debris will be reduced as well, and this event was part of that campaign.
Event Overview
Seto Inland Sea sushi rally
By participating in various activities to learn about actions that protect the beautiful ocean, visitors received stamps on a card. A fully stamped card could be exchanged for sushi at the restaurants’ booths.
Activities
- Outdoor play (ocean debris target practice, scooping up ocean debris)
- Quiz contest (about ocean debris)
- Quiz contest (about daily lives)
- Learn about The Nippon Foundation
- Writing messages to protect the beautiful ocean on a flag
Save the fish! Ocean debris target practice
In a shooting gallery resembling the ocean, use a toy gun to shoot ocean debris without hitting the fish.
Each successful shot earns one sushi stamp.
Clean the water by scooping up debris! Ocean debris scooping game
Scoop up debris from a small pool resembling the Seto Inland Sea without breaking the scoop’s net.
Each successful scoop earns one sushi stamp.
Learn about actions to protect the ocean! Ocean debris quiz game
Panel displays around the venue introduce the problem of ocean debris and actions that protect the beautiful ocean.
Using these hints, each correct quiz answer earns one sushi stamp.
Learn about The Nippon Foundation
A panel display at the venue introduces The Nippon Foundation and its work to protect the beautiful ocean.
Write a message to protect the beautiful ocean on a flag
Participants can write their own message to protect the beautiful ocean on a large flag at the venue.
Each message earns one sushi stamp.
Setouchi Oceans X project
The Setouchi Oceans X project was launched in December 2020 by four prefectures bordering the Seto Inland Sea (Okayama, Hiroshima, Kagawa, and Ehime) and The Nippon Foundation as a comprehensive project to address ocean debris. Using the Seto Inland Sea, which is semi-enclosed and therefore receives relatively little inflow of outside ocean debris, as its field of operations, the project has four main components: (1) Surveys and research; (2) Coordination between companies and local communities; (3) Raising awareness, education, and activities; and (4) Policymaking.
Related Links
Contact
Global Communications Team
The Nippon Foundation
- E-mail: info_global_communication@ps.nippon-foundation.or.jp
