One-Quarter of Crops Lost Before Harvest: Aiming to Eliminate "Invisible Food Loss" with AI
Mirai Garden Inc. has developed "TENRYO," an AI-powered pest and disease prediction app to combat "field food loss," where up to a quarter of crops are lost before harvest. By analyzing weather data and historical patterns, TENRYO alerts farmers a week in advance, enabling preventive control to reduce crop damage, pesticide use, and labor. This app aims to free farmers from pest worries, allowing them to focus on cultivating high-quality crops and business strategy.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 1, 2026 at 17:50
- 🔍 Collected: April 1, 2026 at 09:36
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 16, 2026 at 20:41 (371h 5m after Collected)
"April Dream" is a PR TIMES project where companies announce their future aspirations on April 1st. Mirai Garden Inc. is seriously working towards realizing this dream.
"It's too late once symptoms appear" – this applies not only to human health management but also to crops. Even if pesticides are sprayed after damage from pests and diseases, the commercial value cannot be restored.
Mirai Garden Inc., an agritech startup originating from the University of Tsukuba (Headquarters: Nagoya City, Showa Ward; Representative Director: Fumifumi Hatakeyama; hereinafter "Mirai Garden"), is directly confronting the dream of using AI to alert farmers *before* pests and diseases occur, thereby bringing their management risks close to zero.
■ "Field Food Loss" – A More Serious Agricultural Loss Problem Than at the Consumption Stage
Amidst growing attention to reducing food loss, agriculture faces a less recognized but more severe issue: "field food loss." According to FAO reports and related studies, approximately 10-40% of major global crops are lost annually due to pests and diseases, averaging about one-quarter lost before harvest. Mirai Garden has defined this as "field food loss."
In Japan, the estimated annual loss of agricultural products due to pests and diseases is around 7 million tons. This figure exceeds the commonly recognized food loss (approximately 4.6 million tons) but has received very little public awareness.
Furthermore, climate change is making the patterns of pest and disease outbreaks increasingly unpredictable. For example, aphids, which should have been controlled in March, can cause major outbreaks in February. In 2024, Ehime Prefecture experienced stink bug infestations on a scale 80 times larger than usual, making it difficult to respond to such abnormal outbreaks using only conventional pest control calendars (standard pesticide spraying schedules).
■ "It's Too Late After Damage Occurs." Protecting Crops Through "Preventive Control."
Once crops suffer from pest and disease damage, their commercial value cannot be restored, even with pesticide application. Agricultural products that have lost their marketability must be discarded, resulting in significant losses for farmers. Yield lost cannot be recovered for that particular crop.
The solution lies in "conducting preventive control *before* damage occurs"—this is the fundamental principle behind Mirai Garden's efforts and the message they wish to convey to all farmers.
■ AI Doctor App "TENRYO"
"TENRYO," developed by Mirai Garden, is a pest and disease prediction app. It utilizes proprietary AI, trained on 20 years of weather data and pest/disease occurrence history, to analyze recent weather data and other factors, issuing alerts for the risk of occurrence one week in advance.
The system also considers the real-time impact of abnormal weather conditions, such as mild winters. It has a track record of preventing damage by issuing three alerts during mid-winter (detailed below). By achieving "optimal timing for control – not too late, not too early," it simultaneously maximizes pesticide effectiveness, reduces spraying frequency (leading to labor savings), and stabilizes yields.
*TENRYO has currently acquired 6 patents, including predictive technology.*
■ JA Toyohashi: First Full AI Switchover in the JA Group
TENRYO has already been adopted by JAs and agricultural corporations in Aichi, Ehime, Gunma, Hokkaido, and Kyoto (including pilot programs). At JA Toyohashi in Aichi Prefecture, all agricultural consultation officers will implement control guidance using TENRYO starting in 2025. Recognizing the sufficiently practical accuracy of the AI forecast, the use of pheromone traps (devices used to survey pest populations by capturing them with attractants) for pest surveys was fully transitioned to TENRYO's AI predictions in the same year.
This pioneering initiative within the JA Group was also featured in the national edition of the Japan Agricultural News. This transition has reduced the workload associated with pheromone traps by approximately 90%. The freed-up time can now be dedicated to tasks requiring face-to-face interaction, such as individualized farm visits.
*Image caption: Pest control guidance using TENRYO at JA Toyohashi (Toyohashi City, Aichi Prefecture)*
■ Expanded to 23 Crops – "Forecasts Usable for My Crops" for Farmers Nationwide.
A significant advancement for TENRYO is the expansion of its supported crop categories. Steadily growing its supported crops since the service's launch in 2024, it has been substantially increased from 9 crops last spring to 23 crops this spring (including cabbage, broccoli, onions, rice, citrus fruits, and more).
This expansion now allows TENRYO's forecasts to reach farmers who previously hesitated to adopt it, thinking, "It's not compatible with the crops I grow."
*Image caption: Crops supported as of April 2026 (including those for corporate users)*
App Store (iPhone)
Google Play (Android)
【Mirai Garden Founding Motivation】 Resigning from a Major Electronics Manufacturer to Train as a Strawberry Farmer
Representative Director Fumifumi Hatakeyama was initially an engineer with no background in agriculture. He earned a Ph.D. in Robotics from the University of Tsukuba and worked on infrastructure system development at a major electronics manufacturer.
The catalyst for change came when he observed the transformation of his local tea fields. Once beautiful tea plantations were becoming abandoned or converted into factories. Feeling a deep sense of loss, he decided to leverage his technical expertise to protect the primary industry and founded Mirai Garden in May 2019.
Understanding that he couldn't introduce AI purely on theoretical grounds, he first apprenticed with a strawberry farmer, dedicating a year to hands-on work in the field. He also interviewed approximately 40 neighboring farmers. Through these experiences, he realized the immense challenges farmers faced in "diagnosing pests and diseases" and "determining the timing for pest control."
【Development Anecdote】 Off-Season AI Alert Saved Farmers
During the winter of 2023-2024, while TENRYO was under development, the AI detected a rapid increase in the risk of black spot disease in broccoli, even in mid-winter, and issued an alert. The causal fungus of black spot disease typically thrives in warm, humid conditions between 15°C and 25°C. In cold winter temperatures, fungal activity is largely dormant, so it's usually not a concern.
Despite this, some individuals dismissed the alert, thinking, "There's no need for pest control in this season." However, the AI accurately detected several localized temperature surges that occurred that winter. Fields that did not implement countermeasures suffered severe damage, while farms that followed the AI's advice for control experienced virtually no damage. One young farmer reported a 15% increase in yield compared to the previous year.
More recently, the prediction accuracy has improved to the point where even some of the region's most respected farmers have expressed frustration, saying, "I lost to the AI, it's frustrating." This moment marked a turning point where their frustration transformed into trust.
Towards a World Where Farmers Are Freed from Pest and Disease Worries and Can Focus on Cultivating Delicious Crops: A Message from Representative Director Fumifumi Hatakeyama.
The name TENRYO is inspired by the "Tenryo" (Imperial Territories) of the Edo Shogunate, symbolizing abundance, and embodies the wish for all farmlands to become fertile and bountiful. Our goal extends beyond simply providing forecasts; we aim to be an "AI instructor" standing by farmers, offering concrete actions like, "Given this risk, we recommend applying this pesticide at this specific time."
No matter how much care is put into growing delicious crops, if they are ravaged by pests and diseases before harvest, all the effort is in vain. We are continuously developing to deliver a future for agriculture where farmers are liberated from the anxieties of pests and diseases, enabling them to focus on creating more delicious produce and strategic business planning—reaching every single farm across Japan.
"It's too late once symptoms appear" – this applies not only to human health management but also to crops. Even if pesticides are sprayed after damage from pests and diseases, the commercial value cannot be restored.
Mirai Garden Inc., an agritech startup originating from the University of Tsukuba (Headquarters: Nagoya City, Showa Ward; Representative Director: Fumifumi Hatakeyama; hereinafter "Mirai Garden"), is directly confronting the dream of using AI to alert farmers *before* pests and diseases occur, thereby bringing their management risks close to zero.
■ "Field Food Loss" – A More Serious Agricultural Loss Problem Than at the Consumption Stage
Amidst growing attention to reducing food loss, agriculture faces a less recognized but more severe issue: "field food loss." According to FAO reports and related studies, approximately 10-40% of major global crops are lost annually due to pests and diseases, averaging about one-quarter lost before harvest. Mirai Garden has defined this as "field food loss."
In Japan, the estimated annual loss of agricultural products due to pests and diseases is around 7 million tons. This figure exceeds the commonly recognized food loss (approximately 4.6 million tons) but has received very little public awareness.
Furthermore, climate change is making the patterns of pest and disease outbreaks increasingly unpredictable. For example, aphids, which should have been controlled in March, can cause major outbreaks in February. In 2024, Ehime Prefecture experienced stink bug infestations on a scale 80 times larger than usual, making it difficult to respond to such abnormal outbreaks using only conventional pest control calendars (standard pesticide spraying schedules).
■ "It's Too Late After Damage Occurs." Protecting Crops Through "Preventive Control."
Once crops suffer from pest and disease damage, their commercial value cannot be restored, even with pesticide application. Agricultural products that have lost their marketability must be discarded, resulting in significant losses for farmers. Yield lost cannot be recovered for that particular crop.
The solution lies in "conducting preventive control *before* damage occurs"—this is the fundamental principle behind Mirai Garden's efforts and the message they wish to convey to all farmers.
■ AI Doctor App "TENRYO"
"TENRYO," developed by Mirai Garden, is a pest and disease prediction app. It utilizes proprietary AI, trained on 20 years of weather data and pest/disease occurrence history, to analyze recent weather data and other factors, issuing alerts for the risk of occurrence one week in advance.
The system also considers the real-time impact of abnormal weather conditions, such as mild winters. It has a track record of preventing damage by issuing three alerts during mid-winter (detailed below). By achieving "optimal timing for control – not too late, not too early," it simultaneously maximizes pesticide effectiveness, reduces spraying frequency (leading to labor savings), and stabilizes yields.
*TENRYO has currently acquired 6 patents, including predictive technology.*
■ JA Toyohashi: First Full AI Switchover in the JA Group
TENRYO has already been adopted by JAs and agricultural corporations in Aichi, Ehime, Gunma, Hokkaido, and Kyoto (including pilot programs). At JA Toyohashi in Aichi Prefecture, all agricultural consultation officers will implement control guidance using TENRYO starting in 2025. Recognizing the sufficiently practical accuracy of the AI forecast, the use of pheromone traps (devices used to survey pest populations by capturing them with attractants) for pest surveys was fully transitioned to TENRYO's AI predictions in the same year.
This pioneering initiative within the JA Group was also featured in the national edition of the Japan Agricultural News. This transition has reduced the workload associated with pheromone traps by approximately 90%. The freed-up time can now be dedicated to tasks requiring face-to-face interaction, such as individualized farm visits.
*Image caption: Pest control guidance using TENRYO at JA Toyohashi (Toyohashi City, Aichi Prefecture)*
■ Expanded to 23 Crops – "Forecasts Usable for My Crops" for Farmers Nationwide.
A significant advancement for TENRYO is the expansion of its supported crop categories. Steadily growing its supported crops since the service's launch in 2024, it has been substantially increased from 9 crops last spring to 23 crops this spring (including cabbage, broccoli, onions, rice, citrus fruits, and more).
This expansion now allows TENRYO's forecasts to reach farmers who previously hesitated to adopt it, thinking, "It's not compatible with the crops I grow."
*Image caption: Crops supported as of April 2026 (including those for corporate users)*
App Store (iPhone)
Google Play (Android)
【Mirai Garden Founding Motivation】 Resigning from a Major Electronics Manufacturer to Train as a Strawberry Farmer
Representative Director Fumifumi Hatakeyama was initially an engineer with no background in agriculture. He earned a Ph.D. in Robotics from the University of Tsukuba and worked on infrastructure system development at a major electronics manufacturer.
The catalyst for change came when he observed the transformation of his local tea fields. Once beautiful tea plantations were becoming abandoned or converted into factories. Feeling a deep sense of loss, he decided to leverage his technical expertise to protect the primary industry and founded Mirai Garden in May 2019.
Understanding that he couldn't introduce AI purely on theoretical grounds, he first apprenticed with a strawberry farmer, dedicating a year to hands-on work in the field. He also interviewed approximately 40 neighboring farmers. Through these experiences, he realized the immense challenges farmers faced in "diagnosing pests and diseases" and "determining the timing for pest control."
【Development Anecdote】 Off-Season AI Alert Saved Farmers
During the winter of 2023-2024, while TENRYO was under development, the AI detected a rapid increase in the risk of black spot disease in broccoli, even in mid-winter, and issued an alert. The causal fungus of black spot disease typically thrives in warm, humid conditions between 15°C and 25°C. In cold winter temperatures, fungal activity is largely dormant, so it's usually not a concern.
Despite this, some individuals dismissed the alert, thinking, "There's no need for pest control in this season." However, the AI accurately detected several localized temperature surges that occurred that winter. Fields that did not implement countermeasures suffered severe damage, while farms that followed the AI's advice for control experienced virtually no damage. One young farmer reported a 15% increase in yield compared to the previous year.
More recently, the prediction accuracy has improved to the point where even some of the region's most respected farmers have expressed frustration, saying, "I lost to the AI, it's frustrating." This moment marked a turning point where their frustration transformed into trust.
Towards a World Where Farmers Are Freed from Pest and Disease Worries and Can Focus on Cultivating Delicious Crops: A Message from Representative Director Fumifumi Hatakeyama.
The name TENRYO is inspired by the "Tenryo" (Imperial Territories) of the Edo Shogunate, symbolizing abundance, and embodies the wish for all farmlands to become fertile and bountiful. Our goal extends beyond simply providing forecasts; we aim to be an "AI instructor" standing by farmers, offering concrete actions like, "Given this risk, we recommend applying this pesticide at this specific time."
No matter how much care is put into growing delicious crops, if they are ravaged by pests and diseases before harvest, all the effort is in vain. We are continuously developing to deliver a future for agriculture where farmers are liberated from the anxieties of pests and diseases, enabling them to focus on creating more delicious produce and strategic business planning—reaching every single farm across Japan.