Japan’s Unusual Farming Strategy: Renting Land and Leaving It Fallow for 5 Years — Here’s the Truth…
Last updated: October 20, 2025 Read in fullscreen view
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A Suspicious Deal
In early 2006, Japan's Asahi Breweries partnered with Sumitomo Chemical and Itochu to lease a 1,500-acre plot of farmland in Laiyang, Shandong Province, China. The lease term was 20 years.
Yet for the first five years, the land was left untouched — overgrown with wild grass. Local residents were baffled and suspicious. Rumors spread rapidly, with some saying the Japanese were searching for buried treasure.
People began to speculate: “Maybe they’re looking for treasure,” one said. Another guessed, “Maybe Japan just has money to burn.”
Why Choose “Laiyang”?
China is a vast country — so why did these Japanese companies choose this specific location?
It turns out they had done thorough research and identified Laiyang as an area with multiple advantages:
- Fertile soil
- Clean water sources
- Low pollution levels
- Far from major industrial zones
In an age when food safety is becoming increasingly important, clean land like this is rare in China. Ironically, the local people weren’t that interested in farming — they preferred migrant work over toiling in the fields.
The Strategy: “Nurture the Soil Before You Plant”
After five years of seemingly doing nothing, the Japanese companies began executing their plan. The first step wasn’t planting crops — it was raising cattle.
Why?
- To use cow manure to enrich the soil
- To grow chemical-free crops in revitalized soil
- To use clean crops to feed the cattle — creating a closed-loop system
The Japanese follow a philosophy:
Although Laiyang’s soil was already fertile, it had suffered from past chemical and pesticide use. The Japanese refused to use any agrochemicals, which led many to mock them as “foolish” — farming with low yields and high costs.
Persistence That Defied Expectations
Despite the ridicule, they stuck to their clean-farming principles:
- Cow feed was strictly monitored
- Any milk with quality issues was discarded
- No pesticides were used when growing fruit
The result?
- Japanese milk from this farm sold for 22 yuan/liter — 1.5 times the price of local milk
- Strawberries reached 120 yuan/kg
Only 10% of their production was consumed in Shanghai and Beijing. The remaining 90% was exported back to Japan, where demand for clean food is extremely high.
Fertile Land Only Attracts Birds That Come Willingly
The Japanese turned what was once a laughingstock into a model for sustainable agriculture:
- Clean, branded products
- Revived natural environment
- Rural revitalization through sustainable farming
“Good land attracts birds — but if you're impatient, you might scare them away before they land.”
A Strategic “Foolishness” — A Business Lesson
Today, food safety has become a top priority for many nations. What these Japanese companies created was not just a farming project — it was a sustainable business model:
- Building a brand through quality and ethics
- Protecting the environment and public health
- Increasing farmer incomes and uplifting local communities
Conclusion: From Laughter to Legacy
The Japanese spent five years “doing nothing” — but in reality, they were laying the foundation for long-term success.
While others chased short-term profit, they chose a slower, cleaner, more sustainable path.
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