Our Sea Kelp Skincare Is Heading to Japan

 

In 2018 we (Nova Scotia Fisherman) attended the large Outdoor Retailers trade show in Denver, Colorado. This specific trade show helps showcase companies all over North America who offer products and services related to the great outdoors. 

When we attend trade shows, we never know what to expect. Will we see existing customers? Will there be interest in our brand? Will we meet new buyers and form new relationships? The unknowns are infinite and results are never immediate. A year later however, we are reminded that good things are worth the wait.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the Denver trade show floor, we had the pleasure of meeting the team from Nomadics Japan. With a hand shake and the standard mutual exchange of our “elevator pitch” we learned quickly we had a lot in common. We are both small, honest, hardworking, with an appreciation for nature and a passion to provide our customers with quality product; our values were mutual. 

"Our (Nova Scotia Fisherman) pillars in the last 5 years have always remained the same - be transparent, be honest, support local, provide opportunity and be confident in every product we send out the door. We look for these same traits in suppliers, wholesalers, and organizations we partner with."

 

 

A year later and we are officially in business! We are proud to announce that Nova Scotia Fisherman Products are heading to Japan, and will be represented by the team at Nomadics.

 

 

Japan has a thriving skincare industry, and are no strangers to sea kelp benefits. They are the largest consumers of seaweed products, per capita, in the world. Nova Scotian kelp is especially coveted for both its nutrient density, as well as its sustainable harvesting regulations. 

The team at Nomadics are a growing Japanese distribution company with roots in the outdoors. They only represent products that they have tested and use themselves, in a variety of extreme conditions.

Hideyuki and Takashi, two gentlemen from Nomadics, test the products in a variety of outdoor scenarios (surfing, hiking, skiing, climbing, rafting and more). They provide feedback to the team, which helps narrow down products that are effective and true to their claims.

We were proud to hear Nova Scotia Fisherman products passed the tests. Hideyuki and Takashi have a store front in Japan called Moonlight Gear, where they personally sell the products they test. They contribute with a follow up of blog posts on their experience and recommendations for outdoor enthusiasts. 

 

 

 

 

 

You can learn more about Nomadics here - http://nomadics.jp/

 

One of the owners of Nomadics, Jeff Jensen, is originally from Alberta, Canada. Moving to Japan 25 years ago, he was happy to find our products as a connection to back home. Jeff is a philanthropist who started a non for profit called Mirai no Mori - aiming to empower marginalized youth in the great outdoors of Japan. Through hiking, boxing, outdoor cooking, wood crafting, rafting and more, the org has provided this opportunity for over one thousand deserving children in Japan.

 

 

You can learn more on Mirai no Mori here - https://mirai-no-mori.jp/

 

This June, it was our pleasure to host Jeff, Hideyuki and Aki in Nova Scotia. Their team were very interested in the cultivation process and sustainable harvesting practices of our sea kelp here in Atlantic Canada.

We travelled to Acadian Sea Plants on the Southern tip of Nova Scotia (Yarmouth), where we joined the cultivation teams on the water to observe how the kelp is harvested by hand.

 

 

 

 

The kelp harvest is a sustainable, efficient, scientific and controlled process. Every decision made is for the benefit of the product and for the protection of the marine lands. All completed by hand, the harvester will cut the kelp from the ocean floor using a long, sharp rake - as to not pull it from the root, which ultimately encourages healthy re-growth (think of fresh cut grass).

The harvesters closely monitor the kelp’s density and will only ever harvest 25% of its capacity at a time. This is both monitored by the cultivators, as well as environment / fisheries Canada to maintain sustainability and a thriving ecosystem for marine life. The sea kelp will then be spread to dry naturally, using only the sun and air.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These regulations and processes are rare, situating Nova Scotia at the forefront of sustainable, natural cultivation. No farms and no synthetic additives to improve yield - only nature taking care of the process. 

Aligning our passions for the outdoors, healthy skin, and clean products has been a simple process with this team and we look forward to bringing a little piece of the Atlantic to Japan!