With the cooperation of the Rice Farm Honten (FARM 1739) in Nasu-machi, Tochigi Prefecture, we will hold a rice-growing experience with guests from RISONARE Nasu. From April 9, 2023 to October 29, participants will experience sowing, harvesting, threshing and rice milling in rice paddies in property. In addition to cooking rice using the hagama for each session, new rice will be delivered to your home after harvest. You will be reminded of how it was when you participated, and you will be able to appreciate the appeal of rice by tasting the rice you grew.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries data, the area of rice paddies in Japan has decreased from about 3123000 ha in 40 to about 2366000 ha in 2021. Per capita rice consumption has also decreased by half, from 111.7 kg in 1965 to 51.5 kg in 2021. As the first agritourism resort in Japan to enjoy the agricultural, natural and cultural experiences of the area, we wanted to change this situation as much as possible by exposing people to the beautiful unspoiled landscape of Japan, where rice ears grow, and the delicious food that grows there during their stay, and by getting them interested in rice fields and rice, we launched this project in collaboration with local farmers who share the same thoughts.

Mr. Inoue of Inazaku Honten (FARM 1739) will be invited as a guest speaker and hold a talk session with the participants. The audience will hear firsthand about the history and culture of rice, the obsession with rice making using the power of nature, how to preserve rice to make it taste better, and how to cook rice.

<Inasaku Main Store (FARM 1739)> For the past 150 years of rice production in Nasu, we have been thinking about the future of rice and have developed a variety of products to convey the appeal of rice, including pongashi and packaged rice that can be enjoyed easily. In addition, as an event to convey the appeal of rice paddies, we hold cafes and camps on the rice paddies. We are a rice farmer in Nasu town who has received various awards and recognition for our efforts, including the 2022 the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Discover Rural Treasure Award.

The experience will take place in the "rice fields" adjacent to RISONARE Nasu. During the festival from April to October, participants will experience seasonal tasks such as sowing seeds, which is not easily experienced by the general public, planting rice by hand, harvesting and threshing. They will also have local farmers as guest speakers, who will teach them about the history and culture of rice, how to make rice by relying on the power of nature, how to preserve it and how to cook it for a better taste. They will experience the process from the beginning of rice to eating it.

After each experience, you can enjoy the traditional way of cooking rice at the edge of the rice paddies: rice cooked in a kamado (pot). The rice is accompanied by pickled vegetables. This is an experience where you can experience the taste of rice and the deliciousness of a meal made with time and effort by eating freshly cooked rice while looking at rice fields, which is recommended by rice farmers as the best way to eat rice.

In addition to the content of the program, which consists of five sessions from seeding to harvesting, photos of rice growing process and rice fields are introduced on property's Instagram. Knowing the content of each session and continuing to see how the rice fields and rice ears are changing will make rice even more attractive. After the fifth program, the rice harvested that year will be delivered to your home. The rice will be sent polished after harvest, so you can eat it from the day it arrives. The taste of the rice you have worked with and watched the process from seed to harvest is exceptional.

Hoshino Resorts believes in the importance of CSV management, which balances economic and social values. Hoshino Resorts sees the SDGs as a framework for promoting CSV management, and is engaged in a variety of activities, including promoting environmental management, reducing food loss, and working to pass on traditional culture and crafts. In RISONARE Nasu, Hoshino Resorts continues to carry out a school project in rice, aiming to become an agritourism resort. After each experience, there will be an opportunity to eat rice by the rice paddies. Through the work of growing rice as a producer and the experience of eating it as food as a consumer, we believe we can contribute to achieving Goal 4, "Quality education for everyone."