Farmers of "Seaweed for Imperial Family" in Crisis

Higashimatsushima, Miyagi Pref (Jiji Press)--The tsunami triggered by the massive earthquake in northern and eastern Japan left a huge scar across the Yamoto district, known for producing processed seaweed that is presented regularly to the Imperial Family.
Ships, culturing facilities and processing factories for seaweed production in the district, located in Higashimatsushima, Miyagi Prefecture, were completely destroyed.
Six of the 19 seaweed farmers in Yamoto were killed or are still missing.
"We can't make any forecasts about reconstruction," says one seaweed farmer.
In the prefecture, a seaweed fair is held every year and the top two varieties are presented to the Imperial Family. Yamoto seaweed, grown in nutritious seas, has been picked as a tribute for six years in a row.
Miyagi ranks sixth in seaweed sales among Japan's 47 prefectures, according to the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations.
Seaweed from Miyagi is dark, easy to roll and suitable for sushi, say officials at the national federation of seaweed and shellfish fisheries cooperative associations.
"I don't want to lose this advanced farming skills," says Katsutoshi Aizawa, 66, who has been culturing seaweed in Yamoto for over 50 years.
The disaster struck only just as the district's seaweed started selling well on publicity as a tribute to the Imperial Family, says Aizawa, whose seaweed factory was completely washed away by the tsunami.
"We need to stay close to the sea and work for reconstruction because we are fishermen," Aizawa says.
But hundreds of millions of yen are needed to get the business restarted.
"We can't do this without help from the state. Every seaweed farmer will leave if we don't rebuild within five years," Aizawa says.