vol.1
Captain Sakana

Self-Introduction

Hello!
My name is Kawachan, but I go by Captain Sakana!
I teach kids about fish in a fun and engaging way—like a friendly guide who makes learning about the ocean exciting.

People sometimes confuse me with other fish-loving personalities, but I bring my own unique style to marine education.

You can often catch me on Japanese TV, where I introduce aquariums and share cool facts about sea creatures.

Draw picture books that explain fish ecology in four-panel comics...

Make songs and illustrations for animations on TV Tokyo's Synapusyu show...

And work on the Kiss FM KOBE sound crew (as a radio DJ) and as a voice actor under the name Kazuki Kawata.

To sum it all up, my main job is to communicate through my voice and illustrations.

Wow, that sure is a lot.
But actually, there are reasons for all of the things I do.

The reason I started liking fish

The time I started liking fish was when I was little, right before going into kindergarten.
My father got into keeping tropical fish, and started keeping a giant Amazonian catfish in the area near the front door.

My dad fooled me by saying, "This is Kuchan, and he's a baby whale," and I believed him. But one day, I discovered in an illustrated encyclopedia that the name was "red tail cat fish," and was shocked to learn that Kuchan the kujira (whale) was actually Nachan the namazu (catfish). I couldn't believe that adults also lie!!

When I started going to kindergarten, I became friends with a boy who moved into the same apartment complex as me, and who was really into fish. We went to the aquarium and fishing almost every day.
The things he taught me and the illustrated fish encyclopedia he gave me on the last day before he transferred to a different school are still the source of energy for the things I do today.

The day I became Captain Sakana

In my university years, I dove into the choir club called the Glee Club in Nishinomiya with the dream of becoming a children's show singer, but I failed miserably.
Despite this failure, I still wanted to work using my voice just like a singer would, so after I graduated, I started doing things like working as a freelance announcer and a radio DJ.

Several years later, I won the Grand Prix at a DJ audition for Kiss FM KOBE, and my deep love for fish eventually led to an opportunity to host a show at a seaside park.
Then, a single letter that arrived on the show ended up changing my life forever.

The letter expressed heartfelt gratitude. It read:

"I always listen to your radio show with my son. The other day, when we went clamming, he picked up a lot of trash along with the clam shells. When I praised him for cleaning up, he simply said, 'I think of the fish as my friends, just like Captain Sakana does. It’s sad that they have to live with all this garbage in their home.'"

Until then, I had simply loved fish for my own enjoyment. But that letter opened my eyes and showed me that by sharing my love for fish with children, we could inspire them to care for the ocean too.

From that day forward, I began my true mission: to share the wonder of fish with children as Captain Sakana.

I realized that my message would be more easily understood if I used quizzes and stories told through illustrated pages! And that was exactly the time I started drawing.
To my surprise, many people on social media started noticing my illustrations and a few years later, they were even turned into a book.

Meeting FURUNO

While I was involved in these activities, I met the people from Furuno at a Nishinomiya event.
They shared my feelings, and amidst multiple events and plans, we decided to join forces. I became their ambassador, helping to reach even more children with the wonders of the ocean.

Hisashi Inoue, who I respect deeply, has a quote that goes, "Make difficult things simple, simple things meaningful, and meaningful things fun..."

As someone from the Kansai region, an area known for producing many of Japan’s most beloved comedians and entertainers, I do my best to share the wonders of fish in an fun way.

Once children discover a love for fish through laughter and curiosity, I gently guide them into deeper topics, like environmental issues, using simple but meaningful language they can understand.

As someone who spent my university years growing into adulthood in Nishinomiya, I’m truly grateful from the bottom of my heart to be working with Furuno to help shape the future of our oceans.

“If children develop a love for fish, the sea will become clean.”

From here on, I’m excited not only to keep sharing my own message, but also to collaborate with Furuno to reach even more people.

One of my dreams is to visit elementary schools and kindergartens around Nishinomiya to talk about the fun world of fish. I’d also love to organize garbage cleanups and fishing events at Nishinomiya Bay…!
Haha, maybe I’m getting a little carried away with my dreams—but that’s part of the fun.

Let’s challenge the invisible together.
Thanks so much for reading!