Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market -- the largest in the world -- is oddly quiet early afternoon. Yet climb a steep flight of steps above a small warehouse and the pace is frenetic.
This is the main office of seafood wholesaler Kamewa Shoten, where orders are processed and distribution organized. While most of the 66 full-time and part-time staff are busy within the mainstream industry of supplying restaurants and stores in bulk, some are involved in ground-breaking work: providing food security by following individual fish from hook to table.
"Associated with the London-based nonprofit organization Marine Stewardship Council, we are the first company in Japan to be certified to MSC's environmental standard. We're MSC-approved as a supplier of seafood produced by sustainable bfishing," says Kazuhiko Wada, president of Kamewa Shoten.