Rikusui

What Rikusui does

Rikusui Co., Ltd. (株式会社陸水) is a Japanese for-profit aquaculture company founded May 10, 2021 and headquartered in Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture. The company operates two land-based recirculating aquaculture facilities — Tannowa Farm and Fuka Farm — in Sennan District, Osaka, where it breeds and harvests proprietary brand salmon (Misaki Salmon / 美岬サーモン) and tiger puffer (Fugu no Kami / ふぐの神), supplemented by partner-farmed kue and hirame. Its production stack is built on UV-sterilized underground seawater drawn from beneath its sites, polypropylene tanks (chosen over FRP for recyclability), formulated compound feed, and 100% complete-aquaculture seed stock raised in-house; the company states that no antibiotics are used at any stage. A differentiated tiger puffer husbandry protocol applies enhanced water current to induce exercise, which the company credits with producing firmer flesh, fewer bite marks, and better carcass appearance.

The firm monetizes its aquaculture output through five vertically integrated business divisions: (1) Aquaculture Production selling farmed fish and vegetables directly to restaurants with quote-based B2B consultation pricing and minimum order quantities as low as one fish; (2) Fisheries (wholesale) processing, packing, and distributing fresh and frozen seafood in-house; (3) Vegetables, which was added through a business integration with century-old Sakai Daiichi Seika Co., Ltd. in October 2025; (4) Transportation, an in-house temperature-controlled fleet; and (5) Restaurant Operations, comprising two self-operated izakaya concepts — Seafood Izakaya Rikusui (open in Shinsaibashi) and Uosho Rikusui (opening March 17, 2026 in Namba/Shinsaibashi) — that double as direct-to-consumer brand channels and showcase locations. The primary customer segment is Osaka-area restaurants and foodservice operators; secondary segments include institutional foodservice (care facilities, nursery/kindergarten, hospitals via the integrated vegetable business) and individual consumers. The company has built a partnership with JR West Japan Innovations that brought PROFiSH certification to its tiger puffer in November 2022, and a 2021 pilot with Nankai Electric Railway used railway passenger-freight mixed transport for kue distribution.

Geographically the firm is single-country and single-prefecture, with all farms, processing, and restaurants within roughly one hour's drive of central Osaka — a positioning it leverages to deliver product to Osaka city restaurants within two hours of harvest versus the nine-hour live-truck baseline from more remote producers. The company is privately held, founder-owned, and discloses ¥55 million of registered capital on its corporate profile, with no public revenue, funding, or headcount figures.

Name

Rikusui

Legal name

株式会社陸水

Website

https://www.rikusui.com/

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Rikusui (株式会社陸水) is a Japanese land-based aquaculture company founded in 2021 in Osaka that breeds antibiotic-free salmon and tiger puffer in UV-sterized underground seawater, selling directly to Osaka-area restaurants, operating two izakaya, and distributing produce via a 2025 business integration with Sakai Daiichi Seika.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Land-based Aquaculture

NAICS

Finfish Farming and Fish Hatcheries (112511), Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging (3117), Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers (42446)

SIC

Prepared Fresh Or Frozen Fish & Seafoods (2092)

akta.pro primary industry

Aquaculture Processing & On-Farm Value-Add (primary handling, icing, packing) (AFAEAAAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Live Seafood & Tank-Based Distribution Wholesale (AFAIADAI)

Keywords

• Land-based aquaculture
• Fish farming production
• Seafood wholesale
• Fresh fish supply
• Japanese farmed fish

Headquarters

HQ city

Osaka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Aquaculture Production & Product Sales: Rikusui breeds and harvests salmon (Misaki Salmon/美咲サーモン) and tiger puffer (Fugu no Kami/ふぐの神) at its land-based facilities in Osaka Sennan. Products are sold directly to restaurants and retailers, with delivery within 2 hours of harvest from farms located ~1 hour from central Osaka. Minimum order of one fish accepted. Also sources additional species (kue, hirame) from partner farms on demand.
2. Seafood Wholesale & Distribution (水产事業部): Wholesale distribution of high-freshness seafood to restaurants and foodservice operators. Combines self-produced farmed fish with a producer network to supply a wide range of fresh and frozen seafood products. Operations include processing, packing, and temperature-controlled delivery managed entirely in-house.
3. Restaurant Operations (外食事業部): Self-operated restaurant concepts — Seafood Izakaya Rikusui in Shinsaibashi and Uosho Rikusui (opening March 2026) — serving the company's own brand farmed fish. Restaurants function as both a sales channel and a direct-to-consumer customer acquisition touchpoint.
4. Fresh Produce Distribution (青果事業部): Fresh produce distribution integrated via business consolidation with Sakai Daiichi Seika Co., Ltd. (堺大一青果株式会社) in October 2025, enabling combined fish and vegetable supply to customers. Targets care facilities, nursery/kindergarten, and hospital segments.
5. Transportation & Logistics (運送事業部): In-house logistics and delivery operations supporting the company's own distribution network, providing temperature-controlled transportation for seafood and produce.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Rikusui (株式会社陸水) is a vertically integrated aquaculture company that breeds, harvests, and sells land-based farmed salmon (Misaki Salmon) and tiger puffer (Fugu no Kami) at its facilities in Sennan District, Osaka Prefecture. The company uses UV-sterilized underground seawater systems and complete aquaculture seed stock to produce antibiotic-free fish, delivering to restaurants and foodservice operators within 2 hours of harvest. Rikusui also operates self-managed restaurant concepts (Seafood Izakaya Rikusui and Uosho Rikusui), seafood wholesale distribution, fresh produce supply (via the integrated Sakai Daichi Seika), and in-house temperature-controlled transportation services.

Product overview

Rikusui operates a vertically integrated land-based aquaculture and seafood business with five divisions: Production (aquaculture), Fisheries (wholesale/processing), Vegetable (via Sakai Daichi Seika), Transportation, and Restaurant. The company's core products are its proprietary brand aquaculture fish sold under the 陸水 (Rikusui) and 鮮王 (Sengo) series brands, including 美咲サーモン (Misaki Salmon), ふぐの神/陸水トラフグ (Tiger Puffer), 陸水クエ (Kue), and 陸水ヒラメ (Flounder). The company also operates restaurant establishments (海鮮居酒屋 Rikusui and 魚匠 陸水) where its own fish are served, and integrated Sakai Daichi Seika for combined seafood-vegetable supply. All products emphasize stress-free rearing, minimal transportation time (as short as 2 hours to central Osaka), and sustainable aquaculture using clean underground seawater and compound feed without antibiotics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 美咲サーモン: 大阪産トラウトサーモン。孵化後2年以内の若い個体を使用し、脂の乗りすぎないさっぱりとした上品な味わいが特徴。
• ふぐの神
• 鮮王シリーズ
• 陸水トラフグ

Products and services

• Misaki Salmon (美岬サーモン) A land-reared trout salmon product available March–May, delivered to Osaka city within 2 hours of harvest from farms in Sennan District. Uses young fish under 2 years old for a light, refined taste with moderate fat content. Sold to restaurants and foodservice operators with minimum one-fish orders.
• Fugu no Kami Tiger Puffer (ふぐの神) Osaka-produced tiger puffer fish (トラフグ) raised in stress-free environments with strong water currents that promote exercise, producing firmer texture and preventing fish-biting damage. Antibiotic-free, delivered within 2 hours of harvest from land-based facilities. Received PROFiSH certification from JR West Japan Innovations in November 2022.
• Rikusui Kue (陸水クエ) Kue (Chinese sea perch) raised from high-quality seedlings sourced from Goto Islands, Nagasaki Prefecture. Cultivated for approximately 2 months at Rikusui facilities using compound feed, producing concentrated umami and high-freshness delivery within 2 hours of harvest.
• Rikusui Flounder (陸水ヒラメ) Flounder raised from quality seedlings from Kagawa Prefecture and grown for approximately 3 months at Rikusui facilities. Available July–September, delivered with optional 神経締め (nervous system processing) for premium freshness and texture.
• Seafood Wholesale & Distribution (水産事業部) Wholesale distribution of high-freshness seafood to restaurants and foodservice operators, combining Rikusui's own farmed fish (salmon, tiger puffer) with additional species (kue, hirame) sourced from a nationwide producer network. Includes in-house processing, packing, and temperature-controlled delivery.
• Seafood Izakaya Rikusui (海鮮居酒屋 Rikusui) Self-operated restaurant in Shinsaibashi, Osaka, serving Rikusui's own brand aquaculture fish including Misaki Salmon and Fugu no Kami tiger puffer. Functions as both a direct-to-consumer sales channel and a customer acquisition touchpoint showcasing the company's farmed fish.
• Uosho Rikusui (魚匠 陸水) Second self-operated restaurant of Rikusui, opening March 17, 2026 in Namba/Shinsaibashi area, Osaka. Features Rikusui brand aquaculture fish including Misaki Salmon and Fugu no Kami on its menu.

Quantifiable outcome

• Delivery within 2 hours of harvest from farm to restaurant in Osaka city center (vs. 9+ hours for conventional Nagasaki-to-Osaka live transport)
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• JR West Japan Innovations (株式会社JR西日本イノベーションズ)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 November 2022Business partnership (業務提携) for expanding land-based aquaculture production and sales of aquaculture aquatic products. JR West Japan Innovations also granted PROFiSH certification to Rikusui's tiger puffer. The partnership leverages JR West Japan's distribution network and brand recognition to expand Rikusui's market reach across the Kansai region.
• Nankai Electric Railway (南海電気鉄道株式会社)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 November 2021Collaborative pilot project using Nankai Electric Railway's passenger-freight mixed transportation system to deliver Rikusui's kue (stone fish) products. Press release issued by Nankai Electric Railway highlighting the innovative logistics partnership for local product distribution.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Fish Farm Co., Ltd. Japanese land-based recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) salmon producer operating similar onshore facilities. Closely comparable to Rikusui in core production technology (closed-system aquaculture, complete seed stock), species focus (salmonids), and target market (domestic Japan), making it the most direct Japanese peer.

Broad incumbents

• Maruha Nichiro Corporation: Japan's largest seafood company with broad portfolio across fishing, aquaculture, processing, distribution, and foodservice. Operates both marine and inland aquaculture at scale and competes with Rikusui across the Japanese seafood supply chain, but as a much larger incumbent rather than a niche land-based specialist.
• Nippon Suisan Kaisha (Nissui): Major Japanese seafood and marine products company with vertically integrated operations from fisheries and aquaculture through processed foods and fine chemicals. Comparable to Rikusui in aquaculture production and seafood distribution, but at much larger scale and broader scope.
• Kyokuyo Co., Ltd. Japanese seafood company engaged in fishing, aquaculture, processing, and distribution of marine products. Comparable in aquaculture and seafood distribution segments but operates at substantially larger scale and is not specialized in land-based RAS.

Others

• Hitachi Zosen Corporation: Supplies RAS engineering, biological filtration, and aquaculture-system infrastructure used by land-based fish farms. Rikusui is a potential customer of similar RAS technology providers; comparable as an enabling ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.
• JR West Japan Innovations Co., Ltd. Strategic business partner of Rikusui that granted PROFiSH certification and supports distribution expansion across Kansai via JR West Japan's network. Listed here because it is materially tied to Rikusui's go-to-market, though it is not itself an aquaculture competitor.

Emerging players

• Atlantic Sapphire ASA: Internationally listed land-based salmon RAS pioneer pursuing large-scale bluefin-style salmon production in Denmark and the US. Highly comparable to Rikusui in core production technology (closed-loop RAS, antibiotic-free salmon) though operating at much larger scale and focused on global markets rather than domestic Japan.
• Pure Salmon (8F Asset Management-backed): Global land-based salmon RAS developer with facilities planned across multiple continents. Comparable to Rikusui in production model (onshore RAS, antibiotic-free salmon), though focused on international expansion rather than domestic Japanese restaurant supply.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/rikusuiyoushoku
• Instagraminstagram.com/rikusui_youshoku

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rikusui