NOK Shizuoka Plant Supports Loggerhead Turtle Conservation with Donation to Omaezaki Elementary School

NOK Corporation (Headquarters: Shibadaimon, Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director, Group Chief Executive Officer: Masao Tsuru; hereinafter “NOK”) carries out environmental protection activities as part of its role in local communities across Japan and overseas. At its Shizuoka Plant in Makinohara City, the company supports efforts to conserve loggerhead sea turtles in neighboring Omaezaki City.
As part of this initiative, NOK donated a “protein skimmer,” an aquarium filtration system, to Omaezaki Elementary School to help create a better environment for raising sea turtles. A donation ceremony was held at the school on Monday, September 29, 2025 .

Omaezaki City is one of Japan's most important nesting sites for the loggerhead sea turtle, an internationally recognized endangered species. The city has been carrying out conservation efforts for nearly 50 years. As part of this work, Omaezaki Elementary School raises hatchlings born on the local beaches each year, before releasing them back into the sea as part of its environmental education program.

NOK's Shizuoka Plant, situated approximately five kilometers from the nesting site, also contributes to these efforts to protect the turtles' natural environment and preserve biodiversity. Working together with professional soccer club Júbilo Iwata, which counts Omaezaki City as one of its hometowns, the plant has been actively involved in the initiative. Through this partnership, NOK learned that the school's turtle care facility needed a "protein skimmer," a filtration system for aquariums. The company decided to make the donation, which will enable the water to be filtered more efficiently and provide a cleaner, healthier environment for raising the turtles, while also helping to prevent disease.

Scenes from the Donation Ceremony at Omaezaki Elementary School

At the ceremony, Naomi Shimizu, Executive Officer & Head of Gaskets & Boots Business Unit at NOK, gave remarks. He expressed support for the loggerhead turtle conservation activities, praised the students of Omaezaki Elementary School for their efforts to learn about the turtles’ lives and care for them on a daily basis, and shared the company’s thoughts behind the donation.
A total of 54 fourth- and fifth-grade students took part in the ceremony. Afterward, they visited the turtle care room, where the newly installed protein skimmer had been set up in the aquarium. The students observed how the device kept the water clean and learned how to maintain it. Some commented, “We want to use the protein skimmer carefully and raise healthy turtles.”

Overview of the Donation Ceremony at Omaezaki Elementary School

・Date: Monday, September 29, 2025
・Venue: Omaezaki Elementary School, Music Room and other facilities (3556 Omaezaki, Omaezaki City, Shizuoka Prefecture)
・Participants: Naomi Shimizu, Executive Officer, Head, Gaskets & Boots Business Unit, Sealing Solution, NOK Corporation; Principal Kumiko Tashiro, Omaezaki Elementary School; 54 fourth- and fifth-grade students; Shinjiro Yoshimura, Superintendent of Education, Omaezaki City
・Donation: One protein skimmer (a type of filtration system)
・Recipient: Omaezaki Elementary School

Message Delivered during the Ceremony 

Naomi Shimizu, Executive Officer, Head, Gaskets & Boots Business Unit, Sealing Solution, NOK Corporation
"I am very pleased to be able to deliver this protein skimmer to your school for use in caring for the loggerhead turtles. We learned that you raise hatchlings with such care each year before releasing them back into the sea, and we wanted to support this wonderful activity. I hope this device will help the turtles grow in good health. I also hope to continue working together to protect the rich nature and wildlife of Omaezaki. And if this encourages you to feel even more fond of Shizuoka, that would bring me the greatest joy."

About Loggerhead Turtle Conservation in Omaezaki City and Omaezaki Elementary School

Omaezaki City is the northernmost point in Japan where large numbers of loggerhead turtles come ashore to lay eggs. Part of the city's coastline has been designated a national natural monument. To protect these valuable turtles, conservation activities began in the 1960s, led by Omaezaki Elementary School and supported by the local community. Since 1977, the school has conducted turtle observation and care activities for nearly 50 years, using this approach to educate the next generation about the importance of conservation and the local natural environment. Today, the program is led mainly by fifth-grade students. The children raise some of the hatchlings until they are large enough to be released back into the sea. This year, the care program commenced in September and will continue for approximately 10 months, concluding in early summer next year. Fourth- and fifth-grade students are responsible for feeding the turtles, changing the water, and monitoring their growth and development. Through this experience, they develop awareness of environmental issues, learn the value of life, and nurture compassion.

Loggerhead Turtle Conservation Support Activities by NOK’s Shizuoka Plant in Omaezaki City

As a member of the local community, NOK’s Shizuoka Plant actively engages in environmental protection and supports turtle conservation together with Júbilo Iwata, a professional soccer club deeply rooted in the region. Through collaboration among NOK, Júbilo Iwata, and Omaezaki City, the three parties work to raise awareness of loggerhead turtle conservation.


<Initiatives: Awareness Booths at Júbilo Iwata Matches>
On Sunday, May 11, 2025, an awareness booth on loggerhead turtle conservation was set up in cooperation with Omaezaki City at a match held at Yamaha Stadium. The booth featured displays on turtle ecology and conservation activities, coloring experiences with turtle illustrations, and a fundraising initiative.
On Saturday, August 2, 2025, at the "NOK Special Match" at Yamaha Stadium, a special booth titled "Omaezaki Elementary School Loggerhead Turtle Support Booth with NOK" was run by the school's students. Through quizzes they designed, handmade models, and pamphlets, the children shared information about turtle ecology and the importance of conservation.

About NOK’s Shizuoka Plant

NOK’s Shizuoka Plant operates across three sites in Makinohara City and Kikugawa City, producing dust covers, boots, and vulcanized products that bond rubber with metal—products that hold the top share in the Japanese market. In addition to rubber components, the plant specializes in technologies that bond metal and rubber, manufacturing essential products for mobility.
・Location: 590-1 Jitogata, Makinohara City, Shizuoka Prefecture