A Better Way to Get Oysters? Try Growing Them on Land

Hidenori Yoshida was overseeing an expansion of his chain of oyster bars in 2006 when a norovirus outbreak sent tens of thousands of people to hospitals across Japan. Although none of his restaurants were linked to any of the cases, Yoshida’s sales plunged. But rather than give up on the shellfish, he doubled down, farming oysters himself so he could vouch for the safety of what he served.

Now his 23-year‑old company, General Oyster Inc., is taking things a step further with a land-based farm in the southern prefecture of Okinawa, where the creatures are grown in tanks of seawater pumped from more than 600 meters (1,970 feet) below the ocean surface. Raw oysters can be a source of norovirus and pathogens such as E. coli, often through exposure to untreated sewage—so even when properly handled and stored, they can cause food poisoning.