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About us

Solving Agricultual Problems
Across the Industry

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VISION

Japan's paddy rice is facing an era of mass abandonment of agriculture.
There is a major structural problem stemming from Japan's postwar agricultural policy.
What can save paddy rice cultivation, which is not profitable and requires large capital investment, is private companies and we individuals who love rice and the Japanese culture that has been supported by rice and can appreciate the value that existing finance cannot, and RICE DAO will make Japanese rice cultivation and its landscape sustainable through the entire rice industry.

Expansion of overseas sales channels

Even if Japanese rice produced by RICE DAO is bought domestically, there are farmers who can no longer sell their rice as a result. If we are serious about Japanese agriculture, we believe that the industry as a whole should work on expanding overseas sales channels. RICE DAO is expanding its sales channels to the United States, Southeast Asia including Singapore, and Europe including France, with the following advantages as a DAO:

Joint investment in overseas rice milling/storage facilities
Succession of rice paddies with secured sales channels

Rice paddy succession and automation

At RICE DAO, we succeed businesses from rice paddy owners struggling with succession issues and challenge automated cultivation with our partner agricultural machinery companies. With automation efforts developed to be profitable even without large-scale farmland, we actively take over rice paddy businesses in disadvantaged areas such as hilly and mountainous regions where succession by agricultural corporations is difficult. We welcome contact from community farming corporations and others.

DAO-type succession of rice paddy businesses including future disadvantaged areas
Automation and labor-saving of rice cultivation regardless of land conditions

Gradual transfer of management rights

In the farmlands succeeded by RICE DAO, we realize 'profitable agriculture' through cost reduction by automation and labor-saving, and increased sales through overseas sales. For those who wish to start farming, we create 'easy-to-start agriculture' by entrusting the management of succeeded farmland to them as salaried employees and gradually selling management rights over 10 years. This method also ensures economic returns for co-investors in RICE DAO.

Realization of profitable and easy-to-start agriculture
Realization of economic returns for co-investors

Our Projects

RiCE DAO
@ Tokyo

2024.08.13

With the sponsorship of Plenus, we held a rice workshop with AgriEcon and Todai Murajuku.

Rice Radio
'Rice Talk by UT Students'

Broadcasting a podcast where University of Tokyo students discuss rice

RiCE DAO
@ San Francisco

2024.08.06

We held a rice exchange event for food and agriculture entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley, sponsored by Tokachi Musubi and Onigilly.

TEAM

CEO

Sou Maruyama

- Senior, Dept. of Economics, The University of Tokyo
2023:
- 3. Japan PMI Partners (-present)
- 12. Obtained 2 US qualifications
2024:
- 5. Completed San Francisco State University
- 7. US registration / Started selling Japanese rice locally
- 9. Small and Medium Enterprise Management Consultant

Visited farmers in 8 regions from Tohoku to Kyushu, and posts weekly 'Rice Talk by UT Students' podcast with three friends.

COO

Ren Sasaki

- 2018: Graduated from Dept of Intelligent Electronics Engineering, Sendai National College of Technology
- 2022: Graduated from Dept of Materials Engineering, The University of Tokyo
- 2024: 4. Grandfather's former farming
- 2024: 5. Started TikTok / Instagram
- 2024: 6. Reached 100,000 followers on Instagram
- 2024: 8. Appeared on ABEMA Prime

Agricultural influencer
Planning to become a certified new farmer in June 2025 and inherit the agricultural business from grandfather.

CTO

Gaku Yamada

- 2022: Graduated from Diablo Valley College
- 2024: Graduated from College of Engineering, University of California, Berkeley

Experienced in web and mobile app development through NPO organizations, etc.

Core Members/Advisers

Taro Yamada

Agricultural Manager

Hanako Tanaka

Agricultural Manager

Jiro Suzuki

Agricultural Manager

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