[Faculty of Business Administration] A lecture was given by Mr. Hironori Shiriike, representative of Shiriike Fisheries, affiliated with the Kobe City Fisheries Cooperative Association.

In the "Food Marketing" course taught by Assistant Professor Mizuyo Toma of Faculty of Business Administration, the aim is to enable students to develop their own thoughts and perspectives on food, which is essential for our lives, based on marketing knowledge, and on issues such as SDGs and waste. This time, we had Mr. Hironori Shiriike, representative of Shiriike Fisheries, a member of the Kobe City Fisheries Cooperative Association, who has been engaged in fishing in Kobe for 100 years, speak about the current state of the fishing industry and the various activities being carried out to protect the ocean.

Mr. Shiriike believes that the way fisheries are conducted has changed from his father's generation, and that it is necessary for fishermen themselves to engage with the community and society to help people understand the fishing industry. He started his current activities on his own a few years ago. Currently, he is working with fellow fishermen to brand Kobe's whitebait.

At the beginning, Mr. Shiriike asked, "Do you know that fishing is done in Kobe?" and most of the students were unable to answer. Mr. Shiriike then carefully explained about fishing as a profession, the sea around Kobe, how the whitebait is caught, whether it is sold at the market, and how the way fishing is done has been changing in recent years due to legislation. He also spoke passionately about his current activities to protect the sea by protecting the mountains and branding Kobe's whitebait, and concluded with the words, "Challenges create a new era."

Students commented, "I was very impressed by the fact that Mr. Shiriike's business is centered on providing experiences, not just selling products. I want to incorporate Mr. Shiriike's approach of increasing fans through experiences rather than one-sided sales into my future studies," and "I felt it was incredibly courageous that he balances business and social contribution and starts his activities even by himself."

(Source: School Public Relations)