特定非営利活動法人MATSRA｜公式ホームページ

Chairman's Greetings

President
Kazumasa Kawasaki

I am Kawasaki, President of NPO MATSRA.
MATSRA is an organization established to operate and manage one of the national government’s demonstration fields, conduct fundamental research in the fishing industry in a sustainable manner, and promote fishery-related science and technology activities, thereby helping to increase the public benefits and promote growth of local community.
As a non-profit juridical organization, we are expected to promote diffusion of energies indispensable to our life and work, and contribute to growth of local community.
As Japan’s first NPO aimed to operate and manage a national demonstration field, we are composed of members from various fields and have a potential to expand our own activities. We may attract increased attention in the near future. We hope this undertaking will make Karats, where an ancient prosperous state of Matsura was located, draw more

Why is the organization named MATSRA?

MATSRA stands for Marine Test Site for Renewable-energy Asia. One of Chinese chronicles, Wei Zhi (the Book of Wei) explains in its chapter of Wa, which is the ancient name of Japan as used by Chinese dynasties, that a state named Matsura covered an area that is currently located in Karatsu City in Saga Prefecture.

Energy is a lifeline indispensable to our life.
The Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011 made us keenly aware of the importance of energy. People have set a high expectation of recyclable energy, which is the type of energy source that taps energy from nature.

Purpose of Foundation

The waters in the Iki Channel facing the ocean off the Kabeshima Island in Karatsu City are the sites of a “demonstration field” for marine energy selected by the national government.
Under harmonious relations among the national government, the Saga prefectural government, and related parties, NPO MATSRA conducts various activities, with an aim to contribute to the promotion of public benefits or growth of local community, and realize such aim through its operation and management of a demonstration field; promotion of science and technology, agricultural, fishing, and rural communities or hilly or mountainous areas, and fundamental research on the sustainable fishing industry.

To operate and manage the national government’s demonstration field, it is necessary to establish cooperation between the fishery, which uses waters, and energy.
It takes a new organization, composed of human resources who are well informed of each of the related fields, or fishery, marine energy, and industry, to contribute to the further growth of local community, in addition to a fair and appropriate operation and management of the demonstration field. Such an organization is mainly engaged in non-profit activities. Hence, a specified non-profit juridical organization (NPO), whose aim is to promote public benefits and growth of local community, is considered appropriate.
MATSRA was, thus, established as an NPO.

Our efforts

The name is pronounced "Matsura" from the initials of "MArine Test Site for Renewable-energy Asia" (Asia's marine energy demonstration site). Karatsu has a history of being referred to as ``Susara no Kuni'' in the history of Wajin, so we chose the name to give it a local affection.
We are an NPO with an office in Karatsu that was established in 2015 by representatives of fishermen, academic experts, and industry volunteers as a one-stop support center for ocean energy. The image characters Prince Energy and Princess Marin are transmitting information.

The main activities are the demonstration field off Kabejima in Karatsu City, which has been selected by the government as one of eight sea areas in six prefectures nationwide to test the performance and durability of power generating equipment that uses ocean energy in actual sea areas. We operate and manage the facilities, respond to inspections, and support technological development and demonstration experiments aimed at regional revitalization through the spread of ocean energy and the revitalization of Karatsu.

Under the slogan, "The ocean provides the energy that is essential to our lives," we support business operators and researchers in working together with fisheries to popularize ocean energy.
Karatsu City is located in the northern part of Kyushu, and has a scenic location overlooking the Genkai Sea, as well as restaurants and shops where you can enjoy fresh seafood such as Yobuko squid, and is visited by many tourists every year. When you come to Karatsu, please enjoy sightseeing in the area.
For more information on our daily activities, please see the information posted in each category on this homepage.

Organization

Activities

(1) Activity to promote vitalization of agricultural, fishing, and rural communities or hilly or mountainous areas

(2) Activity to promote science and technology

(3) Activity to vitalize economic activities

Business Operations

(1) Business related to operation and management of a demonstration field

(2) Other operations necessary to fulfill the above purpose

Directors

President　Kazumasa Kawasaki
Representative Director and Union President, Saga Genkai Fishermen’s Cooperative
President, Saga Prefectural Marine Recyclable Energy Promotion Council
Vice President, J☆SCRUM (Saga Prefectural Marine Energy Industry Cluster Research Association)

Vice President
Takeshi Kinoshita
Honorary Professor, University of Tokyo
Director, Nagasaki Institute of Applied Science
Vice President, J☆SCRUM (Saga Prefectural Marine Energy Industry Cluster Research Association)

Directors　Denichi Mori

Directors　Kiyohiro Uramaru

Directors　Yasuyuki Ikegami

Directors　Kenshi　Iihoshi

Director and Manager　Takeo Matsuo

Auditor　Tomohiko Tsunoda