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Protecting Japan's small-scale farming and rice cultivation

Fields and Paddies: Nakanojo


The bounty of Nakanojo, nurtured by rice fields and farms

A small, family-run farm dedicated to Koshihikari rice, seasonal vegetables, and fresh fruits.
Bringing you safe, delicious produce, grown with honesty and care.

Sato Farms URL https://satofarms.com (satofarms.com)

QR code linking to satofarms.com

* The background landscape is an AI-generated image.

Japanese version available: 日本語で読む

Current notices

A Difficult Decision — We Are Putting Our Direct Sales System off

[Grow-as-We-Go Direct Sales] Nakanojo's delicious rice “Sato Rice” (Koshihikari)

Sato Farms URL https://satofarms.com (satofarms.com)

What's New

The full news list has moved to the blog news archive. Only the latest 5 items appear here.

  • Added photos of our rice paddies and Chinese cabbage to Farm Updates.

  • Rooted in the CommunityRead.

  • A Difficult Decision — We Are Putting Our Direct Sales System offRead.

  • A Cool White Dance in Summer — The Sagi-so Festival in NakanojoRead.

  • Sato Farms: An Autumn Growing Note — Just Talking to MyselfRead.

See all news →

Rice Paddies and Fields of the Agatsuma Region

This landscape is an image generated by generative AI.

Nakanojo:
A Land of Nature and Hot Springs

Located in northwestern Gunma's Agatsuma region, Nakanojo is a town blessed with pristine nature and famous hot springs like Shima Onsen and Sawatari Onsen. Pure subterranean water from the Shima and Nakuta Rivers, significant day-and-night temperature swings, and lush forests create the perfect terroir that nurtures the rich flavor of Sato Farms' rice and vegetables.

  • Subterranean water from the Shima & Nakuda Rivers Mineral-rich water nourishes the paddies
  • Four seasons of Agatsuma Temperature swings concentrate flavor in our crops
  • Fields and paddies Koshihikari rice and seasonal vegetables
  • Hot springs & nature Renowned onsen towns including Shima and Sawatari

About Sato Farms

Sato Farms is a small, family-run farm nestled in Nakanojo, Gunma Prefecture. We grow premium Koshihikari rice, seasonal vegetables, and fruits like plums and persimmons. Our approach to farming is rooted in sincerity and care—values shaped by my rewarding years of experience in both education and healthcare.

We are committed to delivering safe, delicious produce by paying close attention to every step, from soil preparation to harvest.

Products & cultivation

Rice fields, vegetable plots, and fruit trees. Sales to friends, acquaintances, and neighbors. Current offerings and rice achievements.

Rice fields — cultivation

Koshihikari

Reiwa 5 (2023) results: Koshihikari
1) First Grade, Taste Score 90
2) "Hanayukari" certified.

2026 harvest rice guide

Fruit trees — cultivation

Persimmons & Plums

Fruit trees: Persimmons, plums
Dried persimmons, pickled plums (umeboshi)
Also drying sweet potatoes into hoshi-imo.

Stock & sales — inquire

  • Harvested Garlic Cabbage Potato Onion
  • Currently harvesting Cucumber Tomato Eggplant

Protecting Japan's small-scale farming and rice cultivation

At Sato Farms, in our small paddies and fields in Nakanojo Town, we work on Koshihikari rice cultivation and vegetable growing.

Reiwa 5 (2023) — First Grade Koshihikari, Taste Score 90, "Hanayukari" certified. On the other hand, in recent years we have been struggling with weeds, and there are days when we feel discouraged.
We hope to share, even a little, the everyday joys and struggles of small-scale part-time farmers.

documents/hanayukari.pdf (Click to open the PDF in a small window. This page stays open.)

Field & Paddy Updates

The photo gallery now lives on the farm updates page. This is just a preview. “The Potato Massacre” has moved to a Farm Blog post.

Photos and short notes from our fields and paddies, updated from time to time.

Rice paddies and Chinese cabbage seedlings (four photos in one, taken September 7, 2026)

September 7, 2026.

Rice paddies: About 20 days until harvest.

Chinese cabbage: Now being transplanted into the fields.

Rice paddy scene
July 5, 2026. Our rice paddies.
Red hot pokers and lilies
July 15, 2026. Red hot pokers and lilies.
Rice paddy scene
August 19, 2026. Our rice paddies.
Vegetable fields
August 19, 2026. Our vegetable fields.

See more farm photos →

Representative
Profile

Caricature of Setsuo Sato

Setsuo Sato, Representative — Sato Farms

A small farm in Nakanojo-machi, Agatsuma-gun, Gunma—growing Koshihikari rice, vegetables, and fruit trees.
I bring the integrity cultivated in education and healthcare to my daily work in the fields.

Education
Bachelor of Arts, School of Education
Department of English Language and Literature
Waseda University
Completed the adult course, Gunma Prefectural Agriculture and Forestry College
Current
Full-time farmer: Ski instructor during winter
Career
Served at six public high schools in Gunma Prefecture
Worked at a nursing school in the county
Farming
Rice fields: Koshihikari
Fields: Seasonal vegetables
Fruit trees: Persimmons, plums
Others: Dried persimmons, pickled plums, dried sweet potatoes
Hobbies/Interests/Concerns
Click here

Fifty years of skiing history----Currently updating my personal best run.

In other words, that just goes to show how terrible I've been all these years...

During the winter, I work as a full-time ski instructor, sharing the joy of skiing with international visitors. Drawing on my background in education, I provide clear, encouraging lessons for beginners through intermediate skiers.

Frequently asked questions

Can the general public purchase from you?

Sales are for friends, acquaintances, and neighbors. If you have a connection, please call our landline to inquire.

What rice do you grow, and what is its quality?

We grow Koshihikari. Reiwa 5 results: First Grade, Taste Score 90, "Hanayukari" certified. Stock and pricing vary by season.

What is available now?

Cabbage at ¥100 is currently available. Rice availability varies — please call to inquire.

How do I order or inquire?

Please call 0279-75-2711, mobile 080-1256-8883, or email 2324satou.setuo@gmail.com (Representative: Setsuo Sato).

About the name "Sato Farms"

"Sato Farms" is the name Setsuo Sato uses as an individual farmer. It is not a name registered as a corporation or trade name.

Hobbies/Interests/Concerns
  • Staying healthy (jogging)
  • Watching MLB
  • Making soba noodles (beginner)
  • Secretary, landscaping group "Yotsumegaki"
  • Custom PC builds (next: my dream 4th machine)
  • Tech & AI: Utilizing generative AI tools like Cursor and Obsidian.
  • FX (Foreign Exchange) Trading: My results may be unimpressive, but my experience is second to none. Having been through many tough battles, I'm now a 20-year veteran. I teach USD/JPY trading know-how.
  • Home Maintenance: Managing and repairing my aging birth home.
  • Current Project: I am currently compiling a bilingual "Ski English Expression Guide" (English/Japanese comparison). It is now nearly complete!
  • Launching this website has been a dream of mine for over ten years. Now, through this web space, there are three things I'd like to express about who I am today: first, recent footage of my skiing; second, the "Uirō-uri" recitation (kōjō), which I have completely memorized; and third, footage of me chanting the Heart Sutra (Hannya Shingyō). I've always thought I'd like to post videos someday—but how will it actually turn out, I wonder?

Directions

15-6 Ise-machi, Nakanojo-machi, Agatsuma-gun, Gunma-ken

Address
15-6 Ise-machi, Nakanojo-machi,
Agatsuma-gun, Gunma-ken 377-0423, Japan
Nearest station
JR Agatsuma Line — Nakanojo Station
By car
From Shibukawa-Ikaho IC on the Kan-Etsu Expressway, via Route 353 (see Google Maps for details)

Guide QR Codes

QR code to open Sato Farms on Google Maps

Map

Scan to open Google Maps

QR code to open Sato Farms website

Website

Scan to open this site

Printable page (for flyers & signs)

[Grow-as-We-Go Direct Sales] Nakanojo's delicious rice “Sato Rice” (Koshihikari)

2026 Grow-as-We-Go Direct Sales for Our Rice

From the Mountains
to Your Table

We are happy to offer our 2026 rice from Sato Farms in Nakanojo, Gunma, Japan.

What we are starting is more than just an online rice shop.

We want to grow our rice carefully, watch how the rice plants grow, check the expected harvest, and then deliver the rice directly to our customers as much as we can.

We call this our “Grow-as-We-Go Direct Sales” approach.

We Want to Deliver Nakanojo Rice Directly to You

Nakanojo and the northern part of Gunma have clean water and a large difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures.

These conditions are good for growing rice.

Koshihikari rice from this area has received the highest grade, “Special A,” three times in Japan’s national rice taste ranking.

We want to bring the rice grown in this special area to your table with as few middlemen as possible.

That is why we started direct sales.

The Price Will Be Decided as the Rice Grows

Rice is not a factory-made product.

The weather can change how the rice grows and how much we can harvest. So, we do not decide everything at the beginning of the year.

Instead, we will look at the rice fields and decide the price step by step.

  • At the beginning of the year: Reference price — ¥20,000 for 30 kg of brown rice
  • Before harvest: Temporary price — adjusted according to the condition of the rice
  • After harvest: Final price — decided after checking the harvest and quality

We want to share information about the rice and its condition as much as possible.

Most importantly, we want to communicate openly with our customers.

Please Choose Your Purchase Interest Level

Membership is free.

Please choose the level that best matches your current interest.

  • Level 1: I am interested.
    I would like to know how the rice is growing and what is happening with sales.
  • Level 2: I may buy it, depending on the price.
    I would like to consider buying the rice after the final price is decided.
  • Level 3: I would really like to buy it.
    I would like to receive priority information about buying the rice.

This system does not mean that you have to place an order immediately.

At this stage, the final harvest amount is not yet known. We first want to understand how much rice people would like to buy. Then we can adjust our sales to the actual harvest.

If Sato Farms does not have enough rice for all customers, we may also work with trusted nearby farmers to help provide enough rice.

In this way, we hope to build a system supported by the local farming community.

We Recommend Buying Brown Rice

At Sato Farms, we recommend buying rice as brown rice.

If you polish the rice just before eating, you can enjoy its fresh aroma, shine, and flavor.

You can use a home rice polisher or a coin-operated rice mill in your neighborhood.

From the Rice Field to Your Table, Growing Together

Planting, growing, the rice plants beginning to produce ears, and finally harvesting.

Rice takes many months to grow before it reaches your table.

At Sato Farms, we would like to share each step of this journey with you as much as possible.

We want you to know not only “How much does the rice cost?”, but also “Where is it grown, and how is it grown?”

Our 2026 “Grow-as-We-Go Direct Sales” rice is not ready yet.

We do not know the final harvest amount or the final price. They will become clear as the rice continues to grow.

That is why we would like you to watch this year's rice grow with us, while we share what is happening in the rice fields.

If you are interested in our 2026 rice, please register as a free member.

When we are ready to start selling the rice, we will contact you using the information you provide.

From this year's rice fields at Sato Farms to your table.

2026 “Grow-as-We-Go Direct Sales”

If you like this idea, please join our membership. When the rice is ready for sale, we will contact you by email.

Contact us

For orders or questions, please call, email, or use the form below. Sales are for friends, acquaintances, and neighbors.

Farm name
Sato Farms
Representative
Setsuo Sato
Address
15-6 Ise-machi, Nakanojo-machi, Agatsuma-gun, Gunma-ken 377-0423, Japan

Contact form

Please fill in and submit.