On November 3, 2025, the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) participated in the Tsukuba Express Festival 2025, organized by the Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company and held at the Tsukuba Express General Base in Tsukubamirai City, Ibaraki Prefecture. JIRCAS exhibited jointly with the Tsukuba Science Tour Office. 

This year marked the 20th anniversary of the Tsukuba Express, and the venue featured commemorative events, attracting many visitors, mainly families. The Tsukuba Express Festival is held annually to broadly promote the appeal of the railway and the region, and to deepen interaction with residents along the line. This was JIRCAS’s first time participating in the festival.

The theme of the joint exhibition was “The Charm of the Sea.” The Tsukuba Science Tour Office presented a hands-on program titled “Let’s Make Artificial Salmon Roe!”, while JIRCAS showcased “The Wonders of Seaweed and Crustacean Quiz.”

At JIRCAS’s booth, the seaweed Kagikenori, noted for its potential to reduce methane emissions from cow burps, was displayed in a mini-aquarium. Its beautiful pink color drew the attention of visitors. Also on display was "Eucheuma muricata," which is native to the Philippines, and a corner where visitors could actually touch the seaweed and experience its texture proved popular.

Additionally, display panels illustrated the differences between the larval and adult stages of invertebrates such as shrimp and crabs living in seas and rivers. In a quiz corner where children matched larval photos to adult forms, they were surprised and delighted by the unexpected answers. Exuviae (molted shells) of whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) and giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) were also displayed, allowing visitors to feel the differences in shell hardness as the animals grow.

The event drew more visitors than expected, providing a valuable opportunity to widely share JIRCAS’s research activities. JIRCAS plans to continue using such events to actively communicate its research and findings to the general public in an accessible way.