Given the worldwide popularity of Japanese sushi culture and the number of foreign visitors expected to visit Japan during the 2020 Olympic Games, the Japanese Government and some NGOs are pushing for the introduction of a nationwide marine product certification system to ensure food safety. Even though this kind of certification system has had certain degrees of success in European countries and the United States, its introduction to Japan has been delayed. These delays demonstrate the need to establish strategies that take the Japanese social and cultural context into account to create “new values” in support of such a system. The main aim of this workshop was to explore the strategies required for the establishment and dissemination of new values in the context of Japanese society, with participants using the case of the marine product certification system as an example.

On the first day, Mr. Takeya first gave a lecture on thinking and the practical process required when spreading new products and services to a society based on long-term business strategies. Next, Ms. Ishihara presented a lecture on the problems associated with Japan failing to introduce a nationwide marine product certification system and how Japanese society would benefit from its introduction. After the two lectures, participants were divided into two groups for discussions that examined how existing marine product certification systems can be introduced to Japanese society. At the end of the first day, each group’s strategies (including opinions against the introduction of a certification system and proposals for alternatives) were presented. One group proposed a social and cultural system aimed at eel resource management that replaces the certification system, and another proposed a tax system aimed at the simultaneous development of fishery resource management and a certification system. In each proposal, participants questioned the need for a certification system, and instead proposed alternatives appropriate to the Japanese cultural context and their ideal vision of society.

On the second day, discussions transitioned to the new values and services that each participant wanted to disseminate in society. Those ideas were developed during a series of presentations and feedback sessions. During the presentations, feedback was provided in the form of “emotional markers” to instantly assess the response of the audience. At the end of the entire workshop, lecturers provided their thoughts, and participants reflected on the experience.