{"id":1174,"date":"2025-11-28T17:10:17","date_gmt":"2025-11-28T08:10:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.simporacademy.jp\/blog\/?p=1174"},"modified":"2026-01-23T14:57:32","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T05:57:32","slug":"news-advanced-upcycling-oyster-shells-in-japan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.simporacademy.jp\/blog\/news-advanced-upcycling-oyster-shells-in-japan\/","title":{"rendered":"\u5ec3\u68c4\u30ab\u30ad\u6bbb\u3092\u518d\u6d3b\u7528\u3001\u74b0\u5883\u306b\u512a\u3057\u3044\u300c\u30b1\u30a2\u30b7\u30a7\u30eb\u300d\u6ce8\u76ee"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div id=\"rtoc-mokuji-wrapper\" class=\"rtoc-mokuji-content frame2 preset1 animation-fade rtoc_open default\" data-id=\"1174\" data-theme=\"jin-child\">\n\t\t\t<div id=\"rtoc-mokuji-title\" class=\" rtoc_left\">\n\t\t\t<button class=\"rtoc_open_close rtoc_open\"><\/button>\n\t\t\t<span>Contents<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/div><ol class=\"rtoc-mokuji decimal_ol level-1\"><li class=\"rtoc-item\"><a href=\"#rtoc-1\">Vocabulary<\/a><\/li><li class=\"rtoc-item\"><a href=\"#rtoc-2\">Article<\/a><\/li><li class=\"rtoc-item\"><a href=\"#rtoc-3\">Comprehension Questions<\/a><\/li><li class=\"rtoc-item\"><a href=\"#rtoc-4\">Summary<\/a><\/li><li class=\"rtoc-item\"><a href=\"#rtoc-5\">Discussion<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/div><h2 id=\"rtoc-1\"  class=\"wp-block-heading\">Vocabulary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"marker2\"><strong><strong><strong>Upcycle<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/span> &#8211;<strong>  <\/strong>reuse waste materials to create something of higher value.<br> <br><em>The company upcycled oyster shells into useful products..<\/em><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"marker\"><span class=\"marker2\"><strong>Granules<\/strong><\/span><\/span>&#8211; small grains or tiny pieces of a material.<br> <br><em>The shells were crushed into granules for use in clam farms.<\/em><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"marker2\"><strong>Sustainability<\/strong><\/span>&#8211; actions that protect the environment for the long term.<br><br><em>The project promotes sustainability by reducing waste.<\/em><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"marker2\"><strong>Recognition<\/strong><\/span>&#8211; public acknowledgement or praise.<br><br><em><em>Their innovation received national recognition.<\/em><br><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"marker\"><span class=\"marker2\"><strong><strong><strong><strong>Circular economy<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/span>\u2013 an economy where resources are reused continuously.<br><br><em><em>Upcycling supports a circular economy by reducing waste.<\/em><\/em><br><em><br><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"rtoc-2\"  class=\"wp-block-heading\">Article<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><strong>Upcycling Oyster Shells in Japan<\/strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>In Toba City, Mie Prefecture\u2014one of Japan\u2019s major oyster-producing regions\u2014around 15,000 tons of oyster shells are discarded each year. To address this waste, a local company developed Careshell, an innovative product made by compacting powdered oyster shells into mineral-rich <strong>granules<\/strong>. First created about 20 years ago, Careshell is now gaining attention both in Japan and abroad for its potential to support marine ecosystems and promote environmental <strong>sustainability<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The idea originated with Megumu Yamaguchi, who wondered whether discarded shells could be returned to the sea in a useful form. By collaborating with university researchers, he developed granules using powdered shells and magnesium hydroxide\u2014a compound naturally found in seawater. These granules were later tested in Manila clam farming, where they helped young clams grow faster and larger by enriching the surrounding environment with minerals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Careshell\u2019s success earned national<strong> recognition<\/strong>, including the Emperor\u2019s Cup in 2013, and has since expanded into new uses such as improving water quality in aquariums. International researchers have also taken notice. At a recent global conference in France, Megumu\u2019s daughter Keiko Yamaguchi presented the company\u2019s work, sparking lively interest and a joint research project between Japan and France.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unexpectedly, researchers from the University of Tokyo discovered that Careshell absorbs CO\u2082 instead of releasing it, adding another environmental benefit. This finding inspired local colleges and a ceramic manufacturer to create decorative tiles made from oyster shells\u2014an example of how <strong>upcycling<\/strong> can inspire new industries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although the company nearly closed due to slow progress, Keiko decided to leave her previous job to support her father. By organizing tours and simplifying complex information for visitors, she helped raise awareness of Careshell\u2019s value. Today, the Yamaguchis hope their work will support coastal communities facing similar challenges and promote a more <strong>circular<\/strong> <strong>economy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><sub>Source: Associated Press News (English)<\/sub><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"rtoc-3\"  class=\"wp-block-heading\">Comprehension Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Answer the questions following the article in English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>What problem in Toba City led to the creation of Careshell?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How does Careshell help Manila clams grow?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Why did Careshell gain international attention?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What surprising discovery did researchers make about Careshell and CO\u2082?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"rtoc-4\"  class=\"wp-block-heading\">Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In your own words, attempt to summarise the article in 4 sentences or less.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"rtoc-5\"  class=\"wp-block-heading\">Discussion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Discuss these topics with your tutor, and support your answers with examples or experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>How can small, local companies contribute to global sustainability?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What challenges might arise when trying to introduce environmentally friendly products to international markets?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you were to upcycle a local waste product from your country, what would you create?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Contents Vocabulary Article Comprehension Questions Summary Discussion Vocabulary Upcycle #8211; reuse waste <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1192,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1174","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-05-news-advanced","category-news-material"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.simporacademy.jp\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1174","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.simporacademy.jp\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.simporacademy.jp\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.simporacademy.jp\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.simporacademy.jp\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1174"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.simporacademy.jp\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1174\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1682,"href":"https:\/\/www.simporacademy.jp\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1174\/revisions\/1682"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.simporacademy.jp\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1192"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.simporacademy.jp\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1174"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.simporacademy.jp\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1174"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.simporacademy.jp\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1174"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}