Sagano and Rice Planting

One of our unique employee benefits is the lunch we provide. The menu is simple: brown rice, a hearty miso soup full of vegetables, and occasionally an additional side dish. All the ingredients are organic, and the seasonings are made using traditional methods. The meals are centered on seasonal vegetables. It resembles temple-style vegetarian cuisine, and thanks to these freshly prepared “one soup, one grain” meals made daily by our kitchen staff, our team members have been steadily becoming healthier. When we added it up, we realised that we consume about 120 kilograms of brown rice per year.

Our rice is grown in the fields of Saga-Arashiyama, near Hirosawa Pond in Ukyo Ward. About two years ago, we began taking part in landscape conservation activities in Sagano, and our staff now joins in the local rice planting and harvest. Farmland that older owners could no longer manage is being converted to organic agriculture that relies on neither pesticides nor chemical fertilizers. Over a span of roughly fifty years, this project aims to restore biodiversity across the region and pass these precious natural ressources on to the next generation. The rice harvested through this initiative has become well known under the name “Kokon Saga Rice.”

At the end of May, this year’s rice planting took place. Now in the fifth year since the transition to organic farming, the soil has become noticeably softer and more resilient compared to last year. When we shift our perspective from being mere consumers to becoming stewards of nature, simply witnessing the process of nature’s recovery fills us with a deep sense of joy. This year’s new harvest is sure to be delicious as well.