Risal Kousan Sets Guinness World Record with 3,250.8 kg of Microbial Soil Conditioner Sold and Launches Crowdfunding for U.S. Expansion

Risal Kousan Co., Ltd., a company that supports sustainable agriculture and gardening through the power of microorganisms, announced that it achieved a Guinness World Records™ title for microbial soil conditioner sales at Hanatomo Festa, one of Japan’s largest gardening festivals, held at Makuhari Messe on April 29, 2026. The company recorded 3,250.8 kg in sales weight. Going forward, Risal Kousan aims to further spread its philosophy of “building soil is building the future” overseas, beginning with a new challenge to enter the U.S. market. The company has launched a crowdfunding campaign to gather supporters for this initiative. At Hanatomo Festa, which drew around 12,000 plant lovers from across Japan, Risal Kousan challenged the Guinness World Records™ title for “Most soil conditioner sold in 8 hours.” The required sales weight was 1,000 kg. Since the company’s average sales weight at previous Hanatomo Festa events was around 500 kg, the attempt initially seemed highly ambitious. However, on the day of the event, sales far exceeded the requirement, reaching an impressive 3,250.8 kg. The company attributes the achievement to the enthusiasm of fans of its flagship product, Karus NC-R, who are known as “Karusers.” Risal Kousan says it views the Guinness World Records™ achievement not as a commercial result, but as proof of its bond with these supporters. The company’s history has not been smooth. It previously experienced bankruptcy, and when the current president’s father took over, the business was at rock bottom, with 200 million yen in debt and 66 million yen in negative net worth. The current president, who originally worked in the financial industry, had not planned to take over the family business. But when his father, the former president, collapsed, he entered management with the determination not to let the family business end. Soon after, he faced the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, the company found a path forward through social media and launched the YouTube channel “Hayato’s Soil-Making Classroom.” The channel consistently explained how microorganisms transform soil and why unused organic matter should be put to good use. It has grown into a popular channel with around 30,000 subscribers and more than 3.6 million total views, while videos related to Karus NC-R have been watched more than 20 million times in total. Viewers have shared comments such as, “I’ve become more confident in making soil,” “Household waste and garden weeds now look like treasures,” and “Every time I return matter to the soil, I enjoy soil-making while feeling the next life emerging.” These responses inspired the company to take on a new challenge: spreading circular gardening to the world. Risal Kousan is now preparing to enter the United States, a major country for agriculture and gardening. The company emphasizes that its goal is not simply to expand overseas for profit. Rather, it wants more people to learn about circular soil-making, try it in practice, and join a community that thinks about and develops soil-making together. This initiative is not merely an overseas expansion project. It is a project to think together with supporters about earth-friendly soil-making and the future of sustainable agriculture. Risal Kousan is inviting supporters to participate through crowdfunding. To pursue its goal of entering the U.S. market, the company has launched a CAMPFIRE crowdfunding campaign titled “A Soil-Making Revolution from Japan: Testing Whether Circular Agriculture Powered by Microorganisms Can Work Globally.” The campaign runs until June 12, 2026. Crowdfunding URL: https://camp-fire.jp/projects/924084/view Rewards include limited-edition goods and experiential rewards, such as meat and agricultural products grown using Karus, along with popular original merchandise. Company profile: Risal Kousan Co., Ltd.; President and Representative Director: Hayato Iikawa; Address: Rira No. 3 Building 3F, 2-110-12 Miyahara-cho, Kita-ku, Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture; Established: May 20, 1986; Business: Manufacturing and sales of biological soil conditioners and fermentation accelerators, and research into microorganism cultivation.