scientists in miyazaki prefecture have tried to keep the salt content down to 3%. they experimented with the concentration of amino acids and other components to create the best taste. more than 2,000 tests were conducted to improve ways to harvest and process the eggs. the result is 20 grams of caviar for between about 100 and $120. about the same as high-end imports. the prefecture is now hoping to export. >> translator: the harvest of natural caviar is plummeting. caviar farming could become a huge business. >> reporter: more companies are springing up across japan. this company breeds and supplies baby sturgeons. it's actually a precision valvemaker. the most difficult step comes in the two months after the sturgeon eggs hatch. the firm managed to raise the survival rate to 70%. baby sturgeons are now sold to more than 50 customers across the country, both public and private. >> translator: inquiries are up 20% annually. since around 2010. >> reporter: one of the buyers is a construction company. it started harvesting caviar nine years ago, after orders for pub