To pass on a sound natural environment to the next generation, we are engaged in a range of environmental education activities for youth and the general public, bringing them into contact with the natural environment and increasing their interest in preserving and restoring it. Diverse activities include lectures at schools and tree-plantings with children, and are achieving a range of solid results. The head office is involved in raising rare fish as part of its effort to increase employee awareness of environmental issues and create a building environment to sooth the heart. Medaka ricefish (Oryzias latipes) Medaka were common in streams and rice paddies, but today populations have declined so far that the Ministry of the Environment has classified them as an endangered species (type II). Kanehira (Acheilognathus rhombeus) The kanehira lives in streams, lakes and marshes in the plains regions, and when mature feeds on water plants. Yari-tanago (Tanakia lanceolata) Reaches about 10 cm in length at maturity. Oily bitterling (Tanakia limbata ) Lives in tributaries, lakes and marshes, and populations are declining as natural environments shrink. Kawabata-moroko (Hemigrammocypris rasborella) Lives in areas with gentle currents, including reservoirs in the plains regions and lakes with abundant water plants along the lakeshore. Sponsoring an environmental concert Date: Saturday, July 31, 2004 Venue: Ogaki City Civic Hall Performance: Nagoya Philharmonic Pops Orchestra (Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra) Conductor: Bob Sakuma Soprano: Maki Shimogaki Theme: "Poems of Beautiful Nature" - Leaving a Rich Environment for Our Children Attendance: 1,300 people   Video imagery was used to express the importance of a beautiful natural environment, while soprano Maki Shimogaki joined the Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra under conductor Bob Sakuma for a musical environment that helped teach the next generation the wonder of a rich natural environment. Eco Products 2004 Date: Thursday Dec. 9 to Saturday, Dec. 11, 2004 Venue: Tokyo Big Sight Description: Survey, analysis, design, construction technology and organisms exhibition for biotopes   Eco Products 2004, held at the Tokyo Big Sight conventional center, is the largest show of ecology-related items in Japan. The exhibition is designed to teach visitors the importance of the natural environment, and the fundamental form of biotopes. Talk Live 2003 Symposium "Leaving a Rich Natural Environment for Our Children" - Biotopes and Environmental Education Date and time: 14:00-16:00, Saturday July 12, 2003 Venue: Sopia Hall, Softpia Japan Guests: Aki Nakai (newscaster), Shimpei Asai (photographer), Fujito Toyoda (Urban Facilities Section, City Planning Department, Ogaki City Hall), Takaya Kodama (1st-class biotope construction and management engineer) Description: Designed to introduce the wonder of the natural environment and heighten awareness of environmental issues, this panel discussion brought together famous people from a variety of fields. This time the main themes were waterfront, waste and environmental education. Guests discussed the importance of environmental protection based on their individual experiences and professional backgrounds. Eco Products 2002 Date and time: 10:00-17:00, Thursday, Dec. 5 to Saturday, Dec. 7, 2002 Venue: Tokyo Big Sight Description: The Eco Products exhibition has the largest number of attendees of any Japanese environmental show. Tsuchiya-gumi booths introduced our comprehensive biotope creation efforts and soil pollution recovery technology, attracting considerable attention. Construction Technology Fair 2002 in Chubu Date and time: 10:00-19:00, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2002 10:00-16:00, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2002 Venue: Nagoya Dome Description: Over 500 people visited our booth over the 2-day Fair, and we received more suggestions and comments than ever. Talk Live 2002 "Born on a Water Planet" - Beautiful Seas and Rivers Date and time: 13:30-15:00, Saturday July 6, 2002 Venue: Sopia Hall, Softpia Japan Guest: Agnes Chan (singer and doctor of education) Description: We welcomed Agnes Chan - a singer, doctor of education and essayist - for a speech on environmental protection. She draw from her own experiences and encounters in nations around the world to present a global perspective on a rage of topics from the importance of water to environmental maintenance. Construction Technology Fair 2001 in Chubu Date and time: 10:00-17:00, Thursday Nov. 15 and Friday, Nov. 16, 2001 Venue: Port Messe Nagoya (No. 1 Exhibition Hall, Nagoya International Exhibition Center) Description: Panels and other introductions to the activities of Tsuchiya-gumi in biotopes and other fields, communicating our environmental stance to a host of visitors.