[Domestically Grown Branches] Starting In-House Cultivation of Branches in Toyooka Village, Nagano Prefecture

Looking to the Future of Branch Production Areas: Taking on the Challenge of Regenerating Abandoned Farmland

TRINUS Inc., the company operating SiKiTO, has concluded a partnership agreement with Toyooka Village in Nagano Prefecture and will work together to develop branch production areas.

Branches were originally one of the floral materials used in ikebana, but with the decline of ikebana culture, the distribution volume decreased by 20.6% over 19 years from 2004 to 2022.

Although demand has recovered in some regions in recent years, all regions face serious issues such as the aging of producers and a shortage of successors.

These problems are not limited to branches; the increasing number of abandoned farmlands[*] and unmanaged, overgrown land across the country is also a challenge.

[*] "Abandoned farmland" refers to land that was previously cultivated but has not been planted for more than one year and there is no intention to plant again within a few years.

While the number of users of our branch subscription service continues to grow, we realized that we wouldn't be able to source enough branches at this rate! We also wanted to contribute to solving the challenges faced by branch production areas!

With these thoughts in mind, SiKiTO has been considering entering the branch cultivation business.

Our encounter with Toyooka Village, with which we have now concluded a partnership agreement, began at "Challenge Nagano," an event hosted by Nagano Prefecture to match local governments with startup companies.

Toyooka Village, located in the southern part of Nagano Prefecture, is known for its thriving fruit cultivation, including peaches, pears, apples, and Ichida persimmons. However, the number of agricultural workers continues to decline, and there are approximately 140 hectares of idle farmland in the village, accounting for 25% of the total agricultural land area.

Nevertheless, we learned that the Southern Shinshu region, with its long daylight hours and large temperature differences between day and night, is suitable for agriculture, and decided to take on the challenge of cultivating branches in Toyooka Village.

A Local Resident Staff Member Decided to Relocate to Toyooka Village

When we first sought core personnel to be permanently stationed locally, Ren Hasegawa stepped forward.

As a member of the "Regional Revitalization Cooperating Team," he relocated from Ishikawa Prefecture to Toyooka Village in April 2024 and began efforts toward branch cultivation while learning the basics of agriculture.

Searching for a Cultivation Field to Grow Branches Amidst Magnificent Scenery

Our immediate task is "finding a cultivation field." With guidance from experienced farmers and agricultural experts, we are searching for the optimal location from various perspectives: is there room for expansion? Can heavy machinery enter? What are the soil conditions and sunlight like?

By the way, every spot in Toyooka Village offers magnificent views! The grand scenery seems to alleviate the fatigue of farm work.

Once the field is decided, we will select cultivation varieties, procure seedlings, and begin planting.

We are considering cultivating varieties in Toyooka Village that will be in season particularly when the distribution of branches is low, around April to May. Current candidates include witch hazel, tanashi azalea, and urajiro ginba.

However, it can take up to seven years from planting to harvesting for some branches. Since waiting that long for a harvest would be difficult, we plan to cultivate fast-growing plants like eucalyptus as well.

Currently, local staff member Hasegawa and CEO Sato are at the center of this initiative, but by the end of this year, other staff members will also visit Toyooka Village to collectively work on preparing abandoned farmland and planting seedlings.

We hope to invite our customers to the site for a tour of the production area once many branches have grown. Please look forward to it!

Branch Subscription Service | Just wait at home, just display.

View Product 〉