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OtherActiveSince 2013

Furin Co., Ltd. (Agriculture-Welfare Collaboration)

Higashinaruse, Akita, Japan · Operator: 株式会社風鈴

Overview

Furin Co., a senior-care provider in Higashinaruse, Akita, has since 2013 run an agriculture-welfare program in which day-service users join planting and harvesting on nearby paddies. Users averaging 88 take meaningful roles in the work, and the harvested rice is sent to supporters.

Citizen participation

About 35 elderly day-service users (average age 88) take part in rice planting and harvesting to the extent each can, with careful attention to safety, in an agriculture-welfare model. It also runs crowdfunding that returns sun-dried rice with rice-straw wreaths to supporters.

Operating model

An elderly-care provider incorporates rice farming on nearby fields as part of its care services, an agriculture-welfare model supported partly through crowdfunding.

Impact

As a leading agriculture-welfare case giving elders purpose through farm work, it was recognized with a Nofuku Award 2025 Challenge Prize and selected as a top Tohoku case in the Discover Rural Treasures program.

Land tenure

Lease

Nearby paddies are leased and farmed as a welfare-facility activity.

Crops

  • rice

Scale

東成瀬村の高齢者福祉施設が運営。デイサービス利用者約35名(平均年齢88歳)が近隣の田で稲作に参加。

Sources(2)

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Furin Co., Ltd. (Agriculture-Welfare Collaboration) — Urban Farm DB