A dolphin named Fuji at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, one of the most popular areas in Okinawa, Japan, caught a mysterious disease that cost her most of her tailfin. Responding to a request from the aquarium, Bridgestone embarked on a journey to help Fuji swim and jump again and built the world's first prototype fin.

The project aimed to get Fuji swimming and playing with the other dolphins again and took a little more than two years to complete. After much trial-and-error, Fuji can now swim as she could before and can even jump.

The project was a success due to Bridgestone's expert technology, the enthusiasm of its developers and the cooperation of aquarium staff and engineers. We were overjoyed to have developed a “technology that saves lives.”