Hoshino Resorts Risonare Nasu has launched "Rice School 2021" on April 15, 2021 (Thursday), which aims to preserve the original landscape of rice paddies and rice culture. Over five sessions until October, the program will convey the appeal of rice through rice cultivation, from sowing to harvesting, threshing, and milling.

Risonare Nasu, a Hoshino Resort, opened in November 2019. Located at the foot of Mt. Nasu, it is Japan's first "agritourism resort" centered on experiences that connect guests with the region's agricultural activities amidst its vast natural surroundings.

In Japan, over approximately 40 years from 1965, the area of rice paddies has decreased from about 3.123 million hectares to 1.478 million hectares, and per capita rice consumption has halved from 111.7 kg to 54.4 kg. With people increasingly moving away from rice, "Rice School" was conceived to reintroduce the appeal of rice.

"Rice School" is a program in cooperation with "Inasaku Honten (FARM1739)," a farmer in Nasu Town, Tochigi Prefecture, who grows top-grade "Koshihikari" and "Nasuhikari" rice using organic and low-pesticide methods. Risonare Nasu guests can participate in the entire process from the beginning of rice cultivation to its arrival on the table, over five sessions in the rice paddies adjacent to the hotel.

In addition to rice cultivation, activities include fire-starting and cooking rice. Local farmers are also invited as guest speakers to lecture on the history and culture of rice, rice cultivation relying on natural forces, and methods for storing and cooking rice to enhance its flavor.

Hoshino Resorts also considers activities rooted in trust with local communities as a key to sustainable corporate competitiveness, and has launched an initiative called "Katte ni SDGs." "Rice School" is a project that aligns with the UN's "SDGs" (Sustainable Development Goals) 12: "Responsible Consumption and Production" and 15: "Life on Land."

The appeal of rice, something so familiar yet surprisingly unknown to many. This is a special opportunity for both adults and children to engage deeply with rice once again.