Mr. Chikayoshi Tomita and Mr. Kazutaka Tomita

Producers: Tomita Chikayoshi and Kazutaka
Production area: Shichijo-cho, Kikuchi City, Kumamoto Prefecture
Main products: Rice, sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkins, soybeans, etc.
No pesticides used
No fertilizer used

Happy Family Rice

Chikayoshi Tomita and his son Kazutaka are engaged in natural farming in Kikuchi City, Kumamoto Prefecture.
Inspired by the teachings of Mokichi Okada, the founder of natural farming, he began growing rice without fertilizer or pesticides 40 years ago.
He served as chairman of the Kikuchi Environmental Conservation Agriculture Research Association and the Kyushu Block Chairman of the National Natural Farming Extension Association, and has since handed over these roles to his son, Kazutaka.
He is a producer who is working hard to promote natural farming in rice and field crops.

The lack of successors to carry on the business into the future has become a more serious problem in recent years, but Tomita's daughter Saki and son Kazutaka are his successors in field and rice farming and are working on natural farming.
Kazutaka is mainly in charge of rice cultivation, but also water management.
Saki is mainly in charge of farming and grows a wide variety of vegetables, the quality of which is improving year by year.
Mr. Tomita's family is always smiling and there seems to be a warm atmosphere around them.
Every May, when he grows rice seedlings, many people gather around Tomita's aura of happiness, including university students from Kumamoto who have volunteered to help for the past 10 years. Tomita often says, "It's great to grow rice naturally because it makes me feel happy."
Many customers have commented that they feel "happy" when they eat Tomita's rice, and it's strange, but I feel that the producer's feelings are reflected directly in the crop.

From Kikuchi to the whole country

Water determines the growth and taste of rice.
The naturally grown rice fields that Tomita works on are cultivated using water from the Sakoma River system, which is particularly rich in minerals.
Granite contains a lot of minerals, which is why the rice made from it is said to taste good.
The water is also managed according to the growth of the rice. Tomita's rice fields are made of sandy soil called sandy loam.
"The topsoil is only about 20 to 30 cm deep, so the soil isn't very fertile, but I want you to see what we can achieve.
"My dream is to turn the whole of Kikuchi into a natural rice field, and spread it to Kumamoto and the whole country," says Tomita. To make this big dream a reality, he is spreading the circle of happiness from Kikuchi to the whole country!

Now, his son, Kazutaka, has taken over the business.

I had the opportunity to interview Kazutaka Tomita.

Please take a look.