News Release (August 8, 2024)
The Wakame Seaweed Field Construction Using Ion Culture Plates
project selected for the Project for the creation of blue carbon
ecosystems around the Osaka Prefecture Expo site
- Toward the Revitalization and Creation of the Rich Osaka Bay TOYO GLASS CO., LTD.

(President: Shingo Noguchi, "Toyo Glass"), a consolidated subsidiary ofToyo Seikan Group Holdings, Ltd. (Tokyo 5901; President: Ichio Otsuka), and Fudo Tetra Co., Ltd.
(Tokyo 1813; President: Shinya Okuda, "Fudo Tetra"), as a joint venture, have proposed the Wakame
Seaweed Field Construction using Ion Culture Plates project (hereinafter referred to as "the Project")to Osaka Prefecture and have been selected for the Project for the creation of blue carbon ecosystems
around the Osaka Prefecture Expo site.*
The Project aims to leverage the experience and expertise of both companies in seaweed field
construction using Ion Culture and Tetrapods to contribute to the creation of a blue carbon ecosystemin the marine areas surrounding Expo 2025 in Osaka, Kansai.
*Project for the creation of blue carbon ecosystems around the Osaka Prefecture Expo site
This project is part of Osaka Prefecture's public solicitation to engage private sector entities working to create seaweed
fields along the coastlines of the Osaka Prefecture Expo site's surrounding marine areas. The aim is to create a blue
carbon ecosystem in these areas and promote Osaka Bay's initiatives domestically and internationally during the OsakaKansai Expo in 2025 under the theme of "Designing Future Society for Our Lives." The selected projects will receive
partial financial assistance from Osaka Prefecture.

About Ion Culture (Algae Growth Agent)
Ion culture, jointly developed by Toyo Glass and Fudo
Tetra, is a glass product that has been adjusted in its
composition to slowly dissolve components such as
divalent iron, silicate, and phosphate ions, which
promote the growth of marine plants when in contact
with water.
The ion culture plates used in this project are mortar
plates with ion culture placed on their surface. They areused for large-scale seaweed cultivation and theconstruction of seaweed fields in coastal areas. By
attachingthemtothesurfacesofports

andbreakwaters, they stimulate the growth of seaweed,
contributing to the establishment of a blue carbon
ecosystem.

Ion Culture PlatesCharacteristics of Ion Culture Plates:
・Plate shape allows for easy installation, such as attaching to Tetrapods or other structures.
・Release essential components for seaweed and phytoplankton growth for approximately 3 to 10years.
・Excellent durability and controllable release period.
・Adopted in over 60 fishing ports and breakwaters nationwide.
Outline of the Project
The target marine area is estimated to have high concentrations of nutrients such as nitrogen andphosphorus but relatively low concentrations of iron. The ion culture plates, which release iron, silicate,and other essential nutrients for seaweed growth, will be attached to Tetrapods to promote the early
formation of seaweed fields. Additionally, spore bags containing wakame spores, as well as seedthreads and parent thalli, will be attached in the vicinity of the ion culture plates to serve as a sourceof wakame spores.
Installation will begin in December 2024, and after installation, underwater visual inspections will beconducted twice a year to assess the coverage of the seabed by growing seaweed, referred to as the"coverage rate of marine vegetation covering a specific area of the seabed."
Target Species: Wakame
Target Area for Seaweed Field Creation and Coverage Ratio Goals-Area: 150 meters in length x 2 meters in width = 300 square meters-Coverage Ratio: 25–50% during the spring to summer period

Image of tetrapods with ion

Image of spore bag installation

culture plates attached
About Toyo Seikan Group Holdings, Ltd.
Toyo Seikan Group Holdings, Ltd. is a world-class comprehensive packaging manufacturer thatdelivers a variety of packaging containers using materials such as metal, plastic, paper, and glass. Inour Long-Term Management Vision 2050, “The Future, Wrapped for All,” we set a goal to go beyond
our traditional field of packaging, aiming to become a corporate group that creates new value thatchanges society. Founded in 1917, Toyo Seikan Group Holdings, Ltd. conducts business on a global
scale, with 44 group companies in Japan and 47 overseas, and currently employs a multinational
workforce of 20,000 people. For more information, please visit https://www.tskg-hd.com/en.

For inquiries about this press release, please contact
Nakanori / Kakimoto
Corporate Communication Group
Sustainability Department
Toyo Seikan Group Holdings, Ltd.
(Email) tskg_contact@tskg-hd.com