Tsunagi launches Soba Field Project to reconnect cities with countryside

Tokyo-based company, Tsunagi LLC, has launched a new programme that allows urban residents to own a patch of a soba field, aiming to forge deeper connections between Japan’s cities and its agricultural heartlands.

Tsunagi organised the first event of its “Soba Field Ownership Plan” in June in Horokanai, Hokkaido, a town renowned as Japan’s largest producer of soba, or buckwheat. They seek to create a “relationship population,” a term for individuals who are not residents but maintain a continuous and diverse connection to a specific region.

In collaboration with local soba flour producer Soba no Sakamoto, the programme’s first event saw around 10 participants from Tokyo travel to Horokanai. They sowed buckwheat seeds in designated plots and engaged in direct dialogue with local producers. The programme is structured around the keywords “create, learn, and connect.”

Participants reported a profound sense of connection to the land and its community. One stated, “The moment I sowed the seeds, I felt I had become a part of this land.” Another described it as “an experience that connected everything. Nature, food, people. It was the best!”

This ownership plan is a key component of Tsunagi’s “Soba transformation (Sx)” mission, which aims to reinterpret soba traditions for future generations. The company’s other projects include producing an upcycled craft beer using soba bran, creating cultural collaborations, and running food education events for children.

Tsunagi plans to hold a harvesting event for the Horokanai programme in October, where participants will reap the buckwheat they planted and learn to make soba noodles. The company also announced it will launch a similar ownership plan in Azumino, Nagano Prefecture, starting in the summer of 2025.