Iris Group Decides to Enter Agriculture 15 Years After the Great East Japan Earthquake
The Iris Group's Iris Agri-Innovation Co., Ltd. announced its entry into agriculture, marking 15 years since the Great East Japan Earthquake. This initiative aims to address the aging farmer population and labor shortages by utilizing abandoned farmland, thereby enhancing the sustainability of regional agriculture and ensuring stable food supply.
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- 📰 Published: May 12, 2026 at 23:07
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Iris Agri-Innovation Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture; Representative Director and Chairman: Kentaro Oyama), part of the Iris Group, has decided to enter the agriculture sector. This move, marking 15 years since the Great East Japan Earthquake, aims to solve challenges such as the aging farmer population and labor shortages.
At the time of the Great East Japan Earthquake, our group, with its headquarters also in Miyagi Prefecture, suffered significant damage, and employees and their families were also affected. As a local company, with the aim of supporting the resumption of farming and agricultural recovery, our group entered the rice milling business in 2013. We have supported stable agricultural management by purchasing rice from partner farmers, mainly in Tohoku. Furthermore, to strengthen the stable supply system for rice, expand its reach, and create new employment, we established the Watari Rice Milling Plant (Watari-cho, Miyagi Prefecture) in 2014, commencing the procurement of brown rice and rice milling. In 2022, as part of our reconstruction support efforts, we established the Minamisoma Plant (Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture), which manufactures trays and films for packaged rice. Through these initiatives, our group has established a system that covers everything from material production to brown rice procurement, milling, processing, distribution, and sales within our own group.
In the rice farming sector, which is the foundation of Japanese agriculture, the aging of producers is advancing, and the shortage of successors is becoming increasingly serious. According to a survey by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, as of 2024, the average age of core agricultural workers, including rice farming, has reached 69.2 years, with over 70% being 65 or older (※1). Moreover, approximately 30% of agricultural land nationwide does not have identified successors for the next 10 years (※2). On the other hand, demand for Japanese rice-related products is increasing overseas. In 2025, the export value of Japanese agricultural, forestry, and fishery products and foodstuffs reached 1.7005 trillion yen, a 112.8% increase from the previous year, marking the 13th consecutive year of record-breaking exports. Among these, packaged rice and processed rice increased by 134.4% to 1.9 billion yen (※3). However, due to reasons such as the rising price of rice for staple food, the planted area for rice cultivated for new market development, intended for export, sales, and consumption from Japan, decreased to 0.9 million hectares in fiscal year 2025, an 81.8% decrease from the previous year. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the planted area for future export expansion and stable domestic supply of rice (※4).
Against this backdrop, our group has decided to enter the agricultural sector based on the "Japan Solution" concept, which positions solving Japan's social issues as the core of its business. By leasing agricultural land and having group employees serve as agricultural workers, we aim to utilize abandoned cultivated land resulting from aging farmers and labor shortages, thereby improving the sustainability of regional agriculture. Furthermore, as we can process and sell the harvested rice within our own group, we aim for stable supply to the market by adjusting the timing of milling and shipping according to demand. We will also continue to support partner farmers as before, contributing to the further development of agriculture by sharing the know-how gained from our agricultural operations.
In the first year, we will primarily cultivate high-yield varieties, focusing on "Nijinokirameki," and the harvested rice will be sold domestically as packaged rice. We will start on a small scale of 22 hectares in total and plan to expand nationwide, with a medium-term goal of 200 hectares in five years and a long-term goal of 1,000 hectares, while also promoting agricultural DX. We are also considering using it for packaged rice for export.
Our company will continue to contribute to the promotion of Japanese agriculture, strengthen the supply system of our food business, and play a role in connecting both producers and consumers.
※1: Referenced from Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries "Section 3: Fostering and Securing Bearers and Agricultural Production Activities by Diverse Farmers" (May 2025).
※2: Referenced from Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries "Status of Regional Plan Formulation (as of end of April 2025)" (September 2025).
※3: Referenced from Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries "Export Value of Agricultural, Forestry and Fishery Products and Foodstuffs in Reiwa 7 (2025)" (February 2026).
※4: Referenced from Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries "Intentions for Planting and Status of Planting of Staple Rice, Strategic Crops, etc. (1st Interim Progress for Reiwa 8 Crop Year)" (March 2026).
At the time of the Great East Japan Earthquake, our group, with its headquarters also in Miyagi Prefecture, suffered significant damage, and employees and their families were also affected. As a local company, with the aim of supporting the resumption of farming and agricultural recovery, our group entered the rice milling business in 2013. We have supported stable agricultural management by purchasing rice from partner farmers, mainly in Tohoku. Furthermore, to strengthen the stable supply system for rice, expand its reach, and create new employment, we established the Watari Rice Milling Plant (Watari-cho, Miyagi Prefecture) in 2014, commencing the procurement of brown rice and rice milling. In 2022, as part of our reconstruction support efforts, we established the Minamisoma Plant (Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture), which manufactures trays and films for packaged rice. Through these initiatives, our group has established a system that covers everything from material production to brown rice procurement, milling, processing, distribution, and sales within our own group.
In the rice farming sector, which is the foundation of Japanese agriculture, the aging of producers is advancing, and the shortage of successors is becoming increasingly serious. According to a survey by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, as of 2024, the average age of core agricultural workers, including rice farming, has reached 69.2 years, with over 70% being 65 or older (※1). Moreover, approximately 30% of agricultural land nationwide does not have identified successors for the next 10 years (※2). On the other hand, demand for Japanese rice-related products is increasing overseas. In 2025, the export value of Japanese agricultural, forestry, and fishery products and foodstuffs reached 1.7005 trillion yen, a 112.8% increase from the previous year, marking the 13th consecutive year of record-breaking exports. Among these, packaged rice and processed rice increased by 134.4% to 1.9 billion yen (※3). However, due to reasons such as the rising price of rice for staple food, the planted area for rice cultivated for new market development, intended for export, sales, and consumption from Japan, decreased to 0.9 million hectares in fiscal year 2025, an 81.8% decrease from the previous year. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the planted area for future export expansion and stable domestic supply of rice (※4).
Against this backdrop, our group has decided to enter the agricultural sector based on the "Japan Solution" concept, which positions solving Japan's social issues as the core of its business. By leasing agricultural land and having group employees serve as agricultural workers, we aim to utilize abandoned cultivated land resulting from aging farmers and labor shortages, thereby improving the sustainability of regional agriculture. Furthermore, as we can process and sell the harvested rice within our own group, we aim for stable supply to the market by adjusting the timing of milling and shipping according to demand. We will also continue to support partner farmers as before, contributing to the further development of agriculture by sharing the know-how gained from our agricultural operations.
In the first year, we will primarily cultivate high-yield varieties, focusing on "Nijinokirameki," and the harvested rice will be sold domestically as packaged rice. We will start on a small scale of 22 hectares in total and plan to expand nationwide, with a medium-term goal of 200 hectares in five years and a long-term goal of 1,000 hectares, while also promoting agricultural DX. We are also considering using it for packaged rice for export.
Our company will continue to contribute to the promotion of Japanese agriculture, strengthen the supply system of our food business, and play a role in connecting both producers and consumers.
※1: Referenced from Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries "Section 3: Fostering and Securing Bearers and Agricultural Production Activities by Diverse Farmers" (May 2025).
※2: Referenced from Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries "Status of Regional Plan Formulation (as of end of April 2025)" (September 2025).
※3: Referenced from Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries "Export Value of Agricultural, Forestry and Fishery Products and Foodstuffs in Reiwa 7 (2025)" (February 2026).
※4: Referenced from Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries "Intentions for Planting and Status of Planting of Staple Rice, Strategic Crops, etc. (1st Interim Progress for Reiwa 8 Crop Year)" (March 2026).