The National Tax Agency has decided to designate sake from this prefecture as subject to the Geographical Indication (GI) system. An official decision is expected to be made in late November after a process of public comment from the general public.
By the 30th, the Japan Patent Office has decided to register farmed eel, a specialty of Lake Hamana, as a regional collective trademark, Lake Hamana Eel. The trademark is managed by the Hamanako Fish Farming Cooperative Association (Nishi Ward, Hamamatsu City), which oversees the eel farming industry in the Hamanako area (Hamamatsu, Kosai City), and can be used by local restaurants.