Ryo Nishikata / Ogouchi Fisheries Cooperative (Okutama Yamame provider) 2025.12.25

It’s mild, like salmon. Mild yet flavorful, with none of the fishy smell typical of river fish. Nishikata was shocked by how delicious this rare farmed mountain salmon, “Okutama Yamame,” was when he tried its sashimi as a tourist. That’s what led him to his current job. He’s in his second year since moving here. He runs a salmon farm in Ogouchi, on the western edge of Okutama, by himself. There’s a forest nearby. The water in the fish tanks is of such good quality that you could drink it.

Growing up in the rice fields of Niigata, he’s always loved salmon. He once lived in the city, surrounded by buildings. Now he’s surrounded by forest trees. He feels this job is his calling. He wants to prove that it’s possible to make a good living in the fishing industry, which is said to be in decline. That’s his dream.