Pure Salmon Japan's first batch of eggs was transferred on May 14, 2026.
Photo: Pure Salmon Japan.
The first batch of eggs is now in Hatchery 1 at Pure Salmon Japan's land-based salmon farming facility, marking a significant milestone as it means the start of live biological operations for the aquaculture company, which is part of 8F Asset Management's portfolio.
According to the information provided by the company, the initial stocking consisted of approximately 250,000 Atlantic salmon eggs from certified broodstock, which have now entered the incubation phase, with transfer to the fry area planned for July, subject to normal biological development.
The eggs, which were transferred to the incubation process in the middle of the month in accordance with established biosecurity and operational protocols, had arrived via Kansai International Airport, where veterinary inspection, customs clearance and regulatory procedures were completed in accordance with applicable requirements.
"The first egg stocking marks an important transition for Pure Salmon Japan from construction and commissioning into live biological operations," said Erol Emed, CEO of Pure Salmon Japan.
"This milestone reflects the dedication of our project, operations, and regulatory teams, and brings us one step closer to producing high-quality, locally grown Atlantic salmon for the Japanese market," he added.
Commenting on the milestone, Pier Paolo Sfara, Chief Investment Officer at 8F Asset Management, congratulated the Pure Salmon team in Japan and noted that the global investment group focused on sustainable food systems—with a particular emphasis on aquaculture—remains committed to supporting the project through to full production.
"Japan is a strategically important market for the Pure Salmon platform, and reaching live biological operations is a meaningful step in delivering on locally produced, sustainable salmon at scale," Sfara said.
In its statement, the company also said that construction and development activities at the Pure Salmon Japan facility in Tsu City, Mie Prefecture, are continuing as the project—formerly known as Soul of Japan—moves toward phased completion and future full-scale production operations.
Once completed, the facility will produce high-quality Atlantic salmon for the Japanese market using a land-based recirculating aquaculture system (RAS). Specifically, it will use the RAS system developed by its sister company, Pure Salmon Technology, which allows for healthier, fresher, antibiotic-free salmon farming in a biosecure environment, protected from marine contaminants, viruses, and parasites.
With a target production of 10,000 tons, when completed, the facility will become Japan's largest land-based salmon farm, aligned with Japan's growing political focus on improving food security and promoting domestic seafood production through sustainable aquaculture solutions, thereby reducing dependence on long-distance imports.
This policy, promoted by the Japanese state itself since the government developed a comprehensive strategy in 2020 to turn aquaculture into a growth industry—with the promotion of land-based aquaculture as one of its pillars—has meant that several new projects of this type have emerged in Japan in recent times, often driven by investors who, on many occasions, are companies outside the seafood sector.
Along with projects by NTT Green & Food—a subsidiary of the telecommunications company NTT Group—to build a land-based aquaculture project for Coho salmon and trout in Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture, and by the Shikoku Railway Company to build a new land-based salmon farm in Saijo City, Ehime Prefecture, Pure Salmon Japan's land-based farm project in Tsu City is another that has joined this trend.
In July 2025, the real estate company Mori Trust Co., Ltd., invested in 8F Aquaculture Fund Japan I LP, the venture capital fund managed by 8F Asset Management that supports this land-based farm, thus becoming a strategic investor in the project.
Recently, the company also secured a new investment of USD 180 million led by funds managed by affiliates of Fortress Investment Group, which added to the USD 460 million 8F Asset Management raised in January 2025 from institutional, sovereign, and family office investors—including both existing 8F investors and new local Japanese investors—when the project was still called Soul of Japan.