Rui Sekkeishitsu Co., Ltd. Concludes Comprehensive Partnership Agreement with Uda City (Nara Prefecture) ~Collaborating on Agriculture, Learning, Town Development, and Other Initiatives Centered Around Our New Facility "Uda Innovation Center VUTAI"~

Hiroshi Abe, President and CEO of Rui Sekkeishitsu Co., Ltd. (left) and Kazunori Kongo, Mayor of Uda City

Rui Sekkeishitsu Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Yodogawa-ku, Osaka; President: Hiroshi Abe) concluded a comprehensive partnership agreement with Uda City, Nara Prefecture (Mayor: Kazunori Kongo) on Monday, March 30th, aiming to enhance regional value. Through this agreement, both parties will leverage their mutual resources and expertise to collaborate on initiatives in agriculture, learning, town development, demonstration projects, and regional issues.

Furthermore, on Saturday, April 11th, our company's stay-type co-creation hub for agriculture and learning, "Uda Innovation Center VUTAI," will grand open.

The Uda Innovation Center VUTAI will serve as a production and distribution hub for our farm division, Rui Farm, as well as an education and training facility responsible for planning and operating educational tours and corporate training, and accommodation facilities. In the comprehensive partnership agreement, the Uda Innovation Center VUTAI will be at the core, forming a co-creation space where diverse stakeholders can interact, thereby contributing to the enhancement of regional value. We believe this is a way to repay Uda for the long-standing support and kindness it has shown Rui Farm since its establishment in Uda in 1999.

Background to the Comprehensive Partnership Agreement

Our company, which originated from an architectural design business, established Rui Farm, its farm division, in Uda in 1999 with the aspiration of "regenerating Japanese agriculture from the intermediate mountainous regions." Since the establishment of Rui Farm, we have collaborated with Uda City on many co-creation initiatives.

On the other hand, despite possessing rich regional resources, Japan's rural areas face significant challenges such as population decline and the resulting shortage of local leaders. Uda City is no exception.

Against this backdrop, with the grand opening of the Uda Innovation Center VUTAI as an opportunity, we decided to conclude a comprehensive partnership agreement with Uda City to promote initiatives such as agriculture and learning, town development, demonstration projects and business creation, and solutions to regional issues.

Main Contents of the Comprehensive Partnership Agreement

●Human Resource Development and Enhancement of Educational Environment

・Planning inquiry-based social entrepreneurship education programs for children and adults

・Planning nature experience-based childcare programs in collaboration with childcare centers/kindergartens

・Planning programs for schools/companies outside the city

●Promotion of Agriculture

・Acceptance of individuals wishing to start farming in the region

●Town Development and Hub Formation

・Utilization of city-owned land and facilities such as satoyama (rural landscapes) as "learning fields"

●Promotion of Demonstration Projects and Business Creation

・Joint planning of demonstration projects for automated delivery robots, etc.

・Introduction and demonstration of smart agriculture technologies, etc.

●Information Dissemination and Regional Collaboration

・Dissemination of business and regional information on HP, SNS, and our direct sales stores

・Provision of VUTAI as an evacuation site during disasters

Date and Time of the Grand Opening Ceremony for Uda Innovation Center VUTAI

Date and Time: Saturday, April 11th, Doors open at 13:00

Location: Uda Innovation Center VUTAI (79-1 Shimoitari, Haibara, Uda City, Nara Prefecture)

VUTAI Grand Hall where the commemorative ceremony will be held

In the first part of the ceremony, a Noh actor from the Kyoto Kanze school will be invited to perform the dance and chant of "Okina," a celebratory prayer performance. The second part will feature a special dialogue. The speakers will be Yasunao Nishijima, master carpenter of the Miyadaiku Daitoryu school, known for his work on the restoration of the National Treasure Himeji Castle and who worked on VUTAI's grand hall, and Kiyojun Nishihata, known as a plant hunter who travels the world and produces many landscapes, who was responsible for VUTAI's planting plan.

With the grand opening, we will create a co-creation space from Uda, said to be the "land of Japan's beginnings," to open up a vibrant society together with everyone for the future.

Overview of the Commemorative Ceremony

Part 1: Noh Performance "Okina"

In Uda, the profound beauty of the Kanze school's Yugen has been deeply rooted since ancient times, as seen in the "Hotaru Noh" performed at Aki Shrine, creating a historical and cultural foundation. Therefore, as the inaugural event for the Uda Innovation Center VUTAI, a Noh actor from the Kyoto Kanze school will be invited to perform the dance and chant of "Okina," a ritual performance of celebratory prayer.

"Okina" is a performance to invigorate life and celebrate a bountiful harvest, with movements that firmly tread the earth and a dance reminiscent of sowing seeds in the Suzunodan, overlaying a prayer for new innovations to sprout from Uda. This is a solemn dedication to celebrate the dawn of a new era in this historic land of Uda.

Part 2: Special Dialogue by Mr. Yasunao Nishijima and Mr. Kiyojun Nishihata

A special dialogue will be held by Mr. Yasunao Nishijima, the 32nd head of Miyadaiku Daitoryu school and master carpenter who worked on the VUTAI grand hall, and Mr. Kiyojun Nishihata, representative of Sora Botanical Garden, who was responsible for the planting plan. They will discuss the trajectory of how VUTAI, a unique space where architecture and planting are fused, was born and its future. Mr. Yuichi Suwa, the exhibition planner for the GREEN EXPO 2027 theme pavilion and former Senior Managing Director of NHK Enterprises, will also join as a commentator.

Mr. Yasunao Nishijima

(32nd Head of Miyadaiku Daitoryu School, Representative of Nishijima Komuten)

A master carpenter who has worked on the repair and restoration of numerous important cultural properties, including the "Great Heisei Restoration" of the National Treasure Himeji Castle. At VUTAI, he was responsible for the construction of the grand hall, utilizing a 200-year-old zelkova tree, creating a beautiful space where tradition and innovation intersect.

Representative of Nishijima Komuten

Mr. Kiyojun Nishihata

(Representative of Sora Botanical Garden)

As a plant hunter, he travels the world, leveraging his overwhelming knowledge and sensibility to produce numerous spatial designs and landscape designs using plants both domestically and internationally. At VUTAI, he was responsible for the planting plan, embodying a landscape that beautifully harmonizes with Uda's nature and history.

(Commentator)

Mr. Yuichi Suwa

(GREEN EXPO 2027 Theme Pavilion Exhibition Planning Manager, former Senior Managing Director of NHK Enterprises)

As an executive producer, he planned and produced numerous large-scale programs such as NHK Special "Life: A 4 Billion Year Journey" and "Earth's Grand Evolution." Currently, he serves as the exhibition planner for GREEN EXPO 2027, continuing to convey the preciousness of life through video and exhibitions.

Role and Future Goals of "Uda Innovation Center VUTAI"

In addition to Rui Farm's production and distribution functions, it will serve as an education and training facility that plans and operates educational tours and corporate training, as well as accommodation functions.

It aims to be a "stay-type co-creation hub for agriculture and learning" where agriculture, education, and businesses intersect, fostering new businesses and learning, with the goal of giving back to the region and creating the future.

Past and Future Steps in Uda

Rui Sekkeishitsu established Rui Farm in Uda City, Nara Prefecture, in 1999. Since then, for a quarter of a century, we have been engaged in organic farming according to the "24 solar terms and 72 micro-seasons" in this area, which has a cool climate and rich soil at an altitude of 400m on the Yamato Plateau. (The Nara farm currently has a cultivated area of 10.8 ha, forest land of 3.7 ha, and cultivates about 25 types of organic vegetables, organic rice, and specially cultivated rice).

〈1999〉

Rui Farm was launched in Uda as Rui Sekkeishitsu's farm business (also opened in Watarai Town, Mie Prefecture, at the same time). When starting the business, Uda was an excellent location with rich soil and water, and relatively close to the urban area of Osaka. It is said to have a deep historical significance, appearing in the Kojiki and Manyoshu, and is called the "land of Japan's beginnings." For our company, which had the grand ambition of "regenerating Japanese agriculture," it was truly the best place to start a business.

〈2005〉

We focused on traditional vegetables that had been continuously passed down in the region and began cultivating "Yamato Traditional Vegetables" such as Uda Kingobou (burdock). In this year, we also started accepting nature experiences and internships, which led to the current "co-creation space where diverse stakeholders interact."

〈2014〉

We started our direct sales business. We opened Rui Farm Direct Sales Store Nishinakajima Minamigata (Yodogawa-ku, Osaka) and Saito Store (Ibaraki City, Osaka Prefecture). We evolved into a business that leverages the strengths unique to a corporate entity, carrying out everything from production to sales, cultivating in the region and selling in urban areas.

〈2019〉

We wanted to stabilize the management base of young farmers and protect the region by building a system that allows local rice to be sold at high prices. With this in mind, we launched the "Uda Rice Branding Council" with local residents.

〈2021〉

In collaboration with Kintetsu Department Store, we began selling farm-fresh vegetables at "Haruchika Marche," which opened at Abeno Harukas Kintetsu Main Store in 2021. This co-creation project attracted attention for its aim to improve the value along the railway line by expanding sales channels.

〈2023〉

We cooperated in a demonstration experiment of "Agriasue," a demand forecasting service specializing in agricultural product sales outlets, using proprietary AI by NTT Data Kansai. This service aims to improve farmers' income by providing more accurate demand forecasts and reducing waste. We were quick to adopt agricultural DX and were featured in major economic newspapers.

〈2024〉

We announced the renewal of Uda's office and shipping facilities, which are production and distribution bases, and the new construction of the stay-type co-creation hub "Agriculture and Learning Co-creation Hub VUTAI." A press conference was held at Uda City Hall on April 8th. It was covered by many media outlets and was praised as a corporate activity that challenges beyond the scope of agriculture.

〈2025〉

The topping-out ceremony for VUTAI was held on July 5th of this year, and the completion ceremony on November 15th, followed by a pre-opening. Despite the short period of four months since the pre-opening, the total number of visitors reached approximately 400, with 18 organizations accepted and 21 inspections (figures up to March 15th).

〈2026〉

The Uda Innovation Center VUTAI will finally grand open on Saturday, April 11th. As a co-creation space where diverse stakeholders interact, it will embark on a significant step towards the future.

Related URL: https://vutai.rui.ne.jp/

【About Rui Sekkeishitsu】

Aiming for a vibrant society, Rui Sekkeishitsu Co., Ltd. (pronounced: Rui Sekkeishitsu) designs vibrant spaces as a strategic partner for clients leading the 21st century. Furthermore, from the perspective of "creating vitality in society," we are also engaged in new education and agriculture.

＜Company Profile＞

Mission: Design a vibrant society

Company Name: Rui Sekkeishitsu Co., Ltd.

Established: 1972

President and CEO: Hiroshi Abe

Location: Rui Building, 4-3-2 Nishinakajima, Yodogawa-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka (Osaka Headquarters)

: Kamata Asahi Building, 5-38-3 Kamata, Ota-ku, Tokyo (Tokyo Headquarters)

Business Activities: We operate five business types: Design Division Rui Sekkeishitsu, Education Division "Rui Juku Plus," "Rui Gakusha," "Shizen Gakusha," "Shigoto Gakusha," Farm Division Rui Farm, Regional Co-creation Division Rui Takuhai, and Maintenance Division.

URL: https://www.rui.ne.