Tokyo, Japan – Restaurant "BLUE" will be Japan's first independent seafood restaurant to serve Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified seafood. Opening in May, the restaurant will display the blue MSC label on its menu, providing customers with a choice of sustainably sourced seafood.
“BLUE”, run by the DRESSNESS Inc. company, will be located in Setagaya-ku, Tokyo. It opens on Tuesday 9 May. "BLUE" will offer seafood, such as scallop from Hokkaido and the skipjack tuna in Miyagi, with the blue MSC label, proof that these products have been responsibly produced by sustainable fisheries. This is the first time that Japanese diners will have the option to discover and experience MSC certified sustainable seafood in an independent seafood restaurant.
"Our menu offers new and original dishes, giving customers the opportunity to explore new possibilities in seafood," said Mr. Daisuke Matsui, the owner of "BLUE", CEO of DRESSNESS Inc. "To demonstrate our commitment to sustainability, we’ve used recycled materials and secondhand furniture in the interior decoration of “BLUE." He continues: "We aim to be a driving force for sustainable seafood in Japan."
MSC’s Program Director in Japan Kozo Ishii says: “I am truly delighted to announce the opening of a privately-owned seafood restaurant offering MSC certified seafood in its menu. Consumer and corporate interest in sustainable fishing and the health of our oceans is increasing rapidly in Japan. I welcome the commitment not only of retailers which sell MSC labelled seafood, but also independent pioneers such as “BLUE”. They are helping to spread the message of sustainable seafood to Japanese consumers. Such action will surely help to educate Japanese consumers and increase demand for sustainable seafood, helping to safeguard seafood supplies and protect our oceans for the future.”
DRESSNESS Inc. opened a seafood sandwich restaurant in Tsuruga-City, Fukui in December 2015, which uses only certified seafood. The success of this restaurant, and the interest in MSC certified seafood led owner Mr. Matsui to develop his business in a more populated area.