We ara
FamLab8

In his appearance, presence, and character, he embodies exactly what a representative should be. With a strong sense of responsibility and weight behind every word he speaks, he is a representative director we truly trust as the core of our team. And his beard adds just the right touch of character.

Beyond growing crops, he also focuses on sharing his story, valuing the chance to communicate the appeal and reality of farming to many people. Rather than talking about agriculture only in terms of “passion” or “ideals,” he works every day with the desire to show what it looks like to make farming a sustainable, viable profession.

He also places great importance on engaging with younger generations—through talks at local junior high schools, conversations about agriculture, planting and harvesting experiences, and building connections with high school and university students.

He’s into live music, soccer, and motorcycles, and on his days off he often enjoys a set routine of a movie, a café, and then a hot spring. By the way, he’s also (just a little) not great at remembering people’s names.

Through FamLab8, I want to share that value and the fun of agriculture with even more people—especially those who have never been involved with farming, and high school and university students who are thinking about their future paths.

If I can become a small spark that makes someone think, “Maybe agriculture is actually a real option,” I’d be truly happy.

No matter the topic, whether work or life, he is always kind, approachable, and willing to offer thoughtful advice. He is the kind of man who makes you think, “I want to be like him.”

After graduating, she joined the agricultural corporation led by her father. Leveraging her qualifications as an Agricultural Products Inspector and a Certified Handler of Poisonous and Deleterious Substances, she mainly works at the rice center and milling facility. She is currently the mother of two children.

At FamLab8, she is primarily responsible for labor-saving initiatives using AI and the rebranding of local traditional performing arts. Her hobbies include raising and breeding animals—such as hatching and multiplying chickens and ducks from eggs, and breeding medaka fish.

Former member of a girls’ soccer club team (from 4th grade in elementary school through 3rd year of high school); has competed in national tournaments

◎ Former shogi club member; represented Kumamoto Prefecture and competed in national tournaments

◎ Agricultural Products Inspector
◎ Certified Handler of Poisonous and Deleterious Substances

Of course, I hope people from outside the prefecture will learn how wonderful Yatsushiro is, too. But in particular, I’d love to create a “place to belong” where local children in Yatsushiro can grow up with pride and affection—so that one day, they can tell their partners or their own children,

“My mom’s (or dad’s) hometown has food this delicious, places this beautiful, and a history like this…”

There is something truly charming about the way she stays true to herself, never hiding her true nature or instincts. As a specialist in rice, she is also someone we can rely on for technical knowledge and practical advice. She is a warm and dependable big sister figure who always looks out for the younger members. Fam Lab8 would not be what it is without Asuka-san. We are deeply grateful for her.

However, during a high school internship, he heard the words, “Farming is a job that brings life into the world,” and that became the turning point that made him decide to take up agriculture.

After graduating from an agricultural college, he began working in the family’s igusa cultivation, but he still wanted to connect with people through food. At 22, he became independent and started his own farm business. Making the most of the reclaimed farmland’s scale, he actively uses fertilizers produced in Kumamoto. He grows open-field vegetables under contract cultivation, and sells asparagus, sweet corn, and rice directly to local restaurants in the area.

I’ll also keep working hard toward creating a comfortable, welcoming place for people in the community to belong.

Beneath his calm demeanor lies a quiet passion, along with deep devotion to his family and a constant drive to take on new challenges. He is a dependable and passionate man who is not afraid to say what needs to be said when others cannot. A true team player—and the future king of asparagus.

With support from the local community, he works each day with the goal of passing the family business on to the next generation—as one of the people who support Japanese culture from the ground up.

Through our activities with FamLab8, I hope you’ll feel closer to Yatsushiro—our beloved hometown—and to the魅力 of agriculture.

Beneath his calm nature lies an incredibly strong passion. The way he speaks honestly with children, responds to them with sincerity, and remains devoted both to producing the best igusa in Japan and to cherishing his family makes him a deeply trustworthy teammate and an endearing younger colleague.

He is always at the center of something, and no matter where you go, someone seems to know him—he is almost like “Yatsushiro’s stock character.” While he is a bundle of energy and action, constantly moving forward and embracing change in both appearance and mindset, he also has a warm heart that deeply values his family and friends. The way he works tirelessly for the hometown he loves and carries the future of Banpeiyu on his shoulders is truly inspiring. With his wide range of knowledge and well-grounded advice, he is always there to give us the push we need.

Around the age of 20—when many of his peers were leaving their jobs and COVID-19 was spreading—he began thinking about quitting and pursuing something else. While talking with a colleague from Kansai about possibly taking over the family farm, he was asked, “What do you grow?” When he answered, “Igusa,” the response was, “What’s igusa?” He was shocked to realize that igusa wasn’t widely known across Japan.

During a long holiday, he spoke with his father about the realities of igusa farming. He began to feel that if he stepped in and took over, he might be able to do something interesting—and so, when he returned to Kumamoto for his coming-of-age ceremony, he decided to start igusa farming to help spread igusa across Japan.

Today, he works hard through social media and other channels to share the value of igusa and the魅力 of tatami with people in Japan and around the world.

Through FamLab8’s activities, I hope to share what makes Yatsushiro special and what makes agriculture great with people of all ages.

A fashion leader and a key figure in shaping the future of igusa, he is also one of the faces of the team, with both the looks and the voice to match. Even as the youngest member, he moves the most and works harder than anyone else. Pushing forward with youth and energy while absorbing everything around him like a sponge, he is truly a treasure of Yatsushiro and a next-generation leader in the world of igusa.