Deep Sea Water

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   Salt water taken from deep in the sea, named “deep sea water,” is rich in minerals and remains cold throughout the year. It is used for many purposes in Kochi, such as producing mineral water, developing cosmetics, raising fish and growing crops. This valuable resource is pumped up from approximately 320m below the ocean surface off Cape Muroto and desalinated for drinking.

   Research into Muroto’s deep sea water started in 1985 when the Science and Technology Agency (presently the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) designated the area around Cape Muroto as a model region for its aquamarine project. In 1989, the Kochi Prefectural Deep Sea Water Laboratory was set up as the first facility in Japan to haul deep sea water onto land.

   Studies have shown that deep sea water has significant effects in a variety of fields such as fishery, medicine and food. Researchers found that deep sea water grows and matures fish and shellfish such as abalone and Japanese flounder faster than usual.

   In the medical field, patients were made to drink desalinated deep sea water for about 6 months. Researchers verified that the deep sea water helped patients with bowel movements and anemia, built up their immunity and improved blood flow. The deep sea water is also expected to have an effect on improving atopic dermatitis.

   Studies also showed that deep sea water accelerates the fermentation of sake, soy sauce, bread, etc and increases their flavor. It also increases the amount of alcohol in sake.

  
   Thanks to such research results, we can see many commercial products using Muroto’s deep sea water in the market. More than 100 companies produce and sell such merchandise. A logo was developed to formally certify what products used genuine Muroto deep sea water.

Warm bath pool in Searest Muroto

   There is a thalassotherapy facility called “Searest Muroto” (formerly Bade Haus Muroto) in Muroto City that makes use of Muroto’s deep sea water. It has a warm bath pool filled with 100% deep sea water that allows you to prevent and treat metabolic syndrome and other lifestyle diseases with proper, comfortable and relaxed exercises in the pool.

Directions to Searest Muroto:

Board the Gomen-Nahari Line on the Tosa-Kuroshio Railway and get off at Nahari Station. Take a local bus bound for Deep Sea World and you can find the facility in front of you soon after getting off at the Deep Sea World bus stop.

Open hours: 10a.m. – 9p.m. (10a.m. – 10p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and previous days of national holidays)

Closed: 2nd Wednesday of each month

Inquiries: 0887-22-6610

Website: http://www.searest.co.jp/ (Japanese only)

Taken from vol.31 PDF