Towards an Era Where Companies Support "Food Assistance" Nationwide - "UCHINO," Born from Employee Benefits, Becomes a Social Infrastructure in Japan
UCHINO proposes a circular model supporting farmers, employees, and local communities through "rice employee benefits."
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 1, 2026 at 16:00
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: June 2, 2026 at 12:58 (1484h 58m after Published)
Our company endorses April Dream, which aims to make April 1st a day for announcing dreams. This press release is a dream of "UCHINO Co., Ltd."
UCHINO Co., Ltd. (Representative Director: Eiji Kobayashi, Head Office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo) will realize a new circular model that supports employees' lives while simultaneously achieving farmer support and social contribution through its unique employee welfare system, the "UCHINO Rice Project."
## The Background to Realizing This Dream
Behind this dream are multiple challenges facing Japanese society.
### Decline of Rice Farmers
The declining birthrate, aging population, and falling rice prices have led to a serious shortage of successors and unstable incomes. We've heard from some farmers that they tell their children and grandchildren, "You don't have to take over," indicating a severe succession problem. There is a sense of crisis that Japanese rice farmers may disappear if this continues.
- **Challenges in Employee Benefits** – On the other hand, within companies, many existing employee benefits do not meet employees' needs, resulting in low utilization rates and underutilized systems. There was a demand for employee benefits that truly support employees' lives.
- **Widening Food Disparity** – Looking at society as a whole, the increase in child poverty and single-parent households has led to more families unable to secure adequate meals. The current situation where the richness of the dinner table varies greatly by household is a problem that cannot be ignored.
Our dream began with the idea of simultaneously solving these challenges in **agriculture, corporate employee benefits, and local welfare**. We believed that if we could create a system where companies support the lives of their employees and local communities while protecting the farmers who sustain Japan's "food," it would create benefits for society as a whole. This led to the birth of a unique approach: "employee benefits that distribute rice to employees."
## Mechanism of the UCHINO Rice Project
In this project, companies commission contract farmers to grow rice with advance payments, guaranteeing stable income for the farmers. The harvested rice is then distributed to employees as an employee benefit. If employees have more rice than they can consume or wish to "deliver it to those who need it more than themselves," they can **return** the rice to the company, which then donates it to children's cafeterias (kodomo shokudo), welfare facilities, single-parent households, and other beneficiaries. By connecting companies, farmers, employees, and communities through rice, we have realized a platform where food and goodwill circulate.
## Features and Effects
The monthly delivery of rice is popular among employees as an employee benefit that directly supports their daily lives. Amid rising prices, many have expressed that "saving on rice costs is a great help," and the option to donate has boosted employees' motivation to "participate in social contribution." For companies, it not only improves employee satisfaction but also strengthens corporate branding and attracts young talent by demonstrating a commitment to SDGs.
For local communities, directly connecting urban companies with local farmers contributes to stabilizing farmers' incomes and revitalizing local areas. Contract farmers receive advance payments, ensuring their income and allowing them to continue rice farming with peace of mind. Furthermore, the donation of returned rice provides food assistance to the next generation through children's cafeterias, and such initiatives are gaining attention from an ESG perspective. This Win-Win model for companies, employees, and society is highly regarded as a new form of employee benefits.
## Achievements of the Dream Realization
As UCHINO became a new standard for employee benefits nationwide and its adoption by companies expanded, the "UCHINO Model" achieved 100% self-sufficiency in rice for children's cafeterias across the country.
Among adopting companies, there is a growing awareness of employee benefits not merely as a cost, but as an "investment" that balances employee support with solving social issues.
This mechanism, where a portion of the rice provided to employees circulates back to the community, has established stable support for children's cafeterias and single-parent households nationwide. It has also led to stable incomes for rice farmers and the resolution of abandoned farmland issues.
Thus, a new corporate culture where "compassion circulates" is beginning to take root in Japanese society.
## Company Profile
Company Name: UCHINO Co., Ltd.
Representative: Eiji Kobayashi, Representative Director
Location: Urban Net Nihonbashi Building 1F/2F, 2-14-10 Nihonbashi Ningyocho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0013
Business Activities: Planning and operation of the employee welfare service "UCHINO"
URL: https://uchino-farm.co.jp
Mail: info@uchino-farm.co.jp
UCHINO Co., Ltd. (Representative Director: Eiji Kobayashi, Head Office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo) will realize a new circular model that supports employees' lives while simultaneously achieving farmer support and social contribution through its unique employee welfare system, the "UCHINO Rice Project."
## The Background to Realizing This Dream
Behind this dream are multiple challenges facing Japanese society.
### Decline of Rice Farmers
The declining birthrate, aging population, and falling rice prices have led to a serious shortage of successors and unstable incomes. We've heard from some farmers that they tell their children and grandchildren, "You don't have to take over," indicating a severe succession problem. There is a sense of crisis that Japanese rice farmers may disappear if this continues.
- **Challenges in Employee Benefits** – On the other hand, within companies, many existing employee benefits do not meet employees' needs, resulting in low utilization rates and underutilized systems. There was a demand for employee benefits that truly support employees' lives.
- **Widening Food Disparity** – Looking at society as a whole, the increase in child poverty and single-parent households has led to more families unable to secure adequate meals. The current situation where the richness of the dinner table varies greatly by household is a problem that cannot be ignored.
Our dream began with the idea of simultaneously solving these challenges in **agriculture, corporate employee benefits, and local welfare**. We believed that if we could create a system where companies support the lives of their employees and local communities while protecting the farmers who sustain Japan's "food," it would create benefits for society as a whole. This led to the birth of a unique approach: "employee benefits that distribute rice to employees."
## Mechanism of the UCHINO Rice Project
In this project, companies commission contract farmers to grow rice with advance payments, guaranteeing stable income for the farmers. The harvested rice is then distributed to employees as an employee benefit. If employees have more rice than they can consume or wish to "deliver it to those who need it more than themselves," they can **return** the rice to the company, which then donates it to children's cafeterias (kodomo shokudo), welfare facilities, single-parent households, and other beneficiaries. By connecting companies, farmers, employees, and communities through rice, we have realized a platform where food and goodwill circulate.
## Features and Effects
The monthly delivery of rice is popular among employees as an employee benefit that directly supports their daily lives. Amid rising prices, many have expressed that "saving on rice costs is a great help," and the option to donate has boosted employees' motivation to "participate in social contribution." For companies, it not only improves employee satisfaction but also strengthens corporate branding and attracts young talent by demonstrating a commitment to SDGs.
For local communities, directly connecting urban companies with local farmers contributes to stabilizing farmers' incomes and revitalizing local areas. Contract farmers receive advance payments, ensuring their income and allowing them to continue rice farming with peace of mind. Furthermore, the donation of returned rice provides food assistance to the next generation through children's cafeterias, and such initiatives are gaining attention from an ESG perspective. This Win-Win model for companies, employees, and society is highly regarded as a new form of employee benefits.
## Achievements of the Dream Realization
As UCHINO became a new standard for employee benefits nationwide and its adoption by companies expanded, the "UCHINO Model" achieved 100% self-sufficiency in rice for children's cafeterias across the country.
Among adopting companies, there is a growing awareness of employee benefits not merely as a cost, but as an "investment" that balances employee support with solving social issues.
This mechanism, where a portion of the rice provided to employees circulates back to the community, has established stable support for children's cafeterias and single-parent households nationwide. It has also led to stable incomes for rice farmers and the resolution of abandoned farmland issues.
Thus, a new corporate culture where "compassion circulates" is beginning to take root in Japanese society.
## Company Profile
Company Name: UCHINO Co., Ltd.
Representative: Eiji Kobayashi, Representative Director
Location: Urban Net Nihonbashi Building 1F/2F, 2-14-10 Nihonbashi Ningyocho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0013
Business Activities: Planning and operation of the employee welfare service "UCHINO"
URL: https://uchino-farm.co.jp
Mail: info@uchino-farm.co.jp
FAQ
What is the UCHINO Rice Project?
It's a circular service where companies commission rice farming from farmers, provide rice as an employee benefit, and donate surplus rice to children's cafeterias.
What social issues does it address?
It aims to simultaneously solve three issues: the decline of rice farmers, challenges in corporate employee benefits, and the widening food disparity.
What are the benefits for companies?
Benefits include improved employee satisfaction, enhanced corporate branding through SDG contributions, and positive effects on recruiting young talent.