Bus Company Tries Rice Farming—Wow!

Recently, many news reports say bus companies have problems. Drivers are older and there are not enough drivers.
But one bus company has a new idea. They want to help society and do business together.

In Saitama Prefecture, a bus company called Heisei Enterprise rents about 2 hectares of rice fields. They try to grow rice. The company started more than 30 years ago and did bus business mainly. Now, they try farming for helping the society.

They also run a strawberry farm for bus tours. Seven workers help grow rice with advice from local farmers. They planted rice in spring 2025 and it is growing well.

The president says bus business makes much CO2, so during COVID-19, they thought about starting a business friendly to the environment.

This idea is "one stone, three birds"—it is smart. First, it helps stop bad farm lands. If no one farms, the land may get dirty and people don’t like that.

Second, the company shares the new rice (7 tons) with about 1400 workers. This is good for the workers and helps them know local products well.

Third, they plan bus tours with farming experience. This brings visitors and helps the town. Young people may start farming from these experiences.

This is like a famous Japanese idea called "Sanpo Yoshi"—good for the seller, the buyer, and the society. We can say it is "win-win-win."　The company solves local problems and makes new value. The future may have more companies farming rice like this!