Something Very Fishy At Toyota

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

Sometimes we forget that Toyota Motor Corp. is a member of a huge keiretsu (conglomerate). Well, The Nikkei [sub] reminds us that a “Toyota Motor Corp. affiliated trading house will obtain artificially raised juvenile fish about 6cm long from the university’s fishery lab in Wakayama Prefecture.” Juvenile fish?

The Toyota Motor Corp. affiliated trading house is the Toyota Tsusho Corp. They are going into the – are you sitting down – bluefin tuna breeding business in a technological alliance with Osaka’s Kinki University. (Yes, there is a Kinki University in Japan – what did you expect?)

Toyota Tsusho will grow the little fish into bigger fish, about a foot long. Then they sell them to tuna farmers. The tuna farmers grow them into big fish, and then they end up as sushi.


Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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  • APaGttH APaGttH on Sep 10, 2010

    The Japanese love their bluefin. OK, OK, I love it too.

  • Dynamic88 Dynamic88 on Sep 10, 2010

    I thought sushi was rice prepared with vinegar, and then served cold. It could have fish in the center, raw or cooked, or vegetables. I'm more of a yellowfin guy myself, though I know most people consider bluefin superior.

  • PeriSoft PeriSoft on Sep 10, 2010

    What is it with ads using animals to promote people eating their own species? Seriously - if you're a fish, are you going to be like, "Hey! Eat my friends! We're really good to eat!"? The worst thing I saw was the sign on one of those big jars of pork sausages they have at gas stations. It featured an immensely pleased pig, standing on his hind feet, proudly displaying... links of pork sausage. Dude! You're holding up your brothers' entrails! That just isn't cool!

  • George70steven George70steven on Nov 24, 2010

    It could have fish in the center, raw or cooked, or vegetables. The tuna farmers grow them into big fish, and then they end up as sushi. car insurance quote

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