As a restaurant, making our food aboslutely delicious is our utmost priority, and in order to achieve that, we believe that three aspects are crucial: improving the quality of ingredients, enhancing cooking techniques and upgrading kitchen equipment. We have particularly focused on improving the quality of our ingredients. Up until now, we had relied heavily on importing Thai vegetables, some of which were only available frozen. The catalyst for our venture into agricultural development was the recent challenges we faced, including soaring prices and difficulties in sourcing ingredients, especially imported Thai vegetables. We were also aware of the low self-sufficiency rate of Japan's food supply and the decreasing number of producers due to an aging population. We were also concerned about the reliance on imported fertilizers, witnessing their rising costs leading many farmers to close their businesses.

Meanwhile, due to the global situation over the last two to three years, imports of some Thai ingredients had stopped completely, causing prices to skyrocket. Our worries became a reality. Therefore, to secure our supply and address our concerns about ingredient quality, we decided to start producing our own vegetables, beginning with those we use in larger quantities. We committed ourselves to safe and reliable vegetable cultivation, aiming to further satisfy our customers. Anticipating potential supply issues due to fertilizers, we decided to adopt an agricultural approach that minimizes fertilizer usage and maximizes the inherent fertility of the soil. During this period, we had the fortunate encounter with Tabu Yoshiaki, a soil specialist from Kumamoto with extensive experience in soil cultivation overseas and a strong commitment to social contribution.. With the motto of "Building Soil, Creating Food, Nurturing People," we decided to experiment with soil improvement and take on the challenge of growing our own vegetables.

wonderful! It was the idea of an amateur who knew nothing about agriculture or compost. In that moment of inspiration, right before my eyes was Mr. Tamura, the soil specialist. Everything fell into place at that moment! Excitedly, I immediately contacted Ichihara Elephant Kingdom about our idea. Soon after, we met President Sakamoto and conducted a component analysis at the university's research facility, of which the results indicated that the compost was highly suitable for use. Furthermore, President Sakamoto offered us a provision of farmland, which we actually came to rent. Through a series of events and encounters, we found ourselves starting an agricultural farm in Ichihara City, supported by the local community.