Kazo Rice to Space! DigitalBlast and Kazo City Hold Seed Handover Ceremony for “Kazo Space Rice” to be Sent to the International Space Station
April 25, 2025
— Promoting Regional Revitalization through the Creation of a Space-Branded Rice —
On Thursday, April 24, 2025, DigitalBlast, Inc. (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Shingo Horiguchi), which supports the development of small-scale life science experimental devices and the revitalization of the space industry through new business creation, held a ceremonial event in partnership with Kazo City (Mayor: Moriyoshi Kakuta) in Saitama Prefecture. The event marked the handover of rice seeds produced in Kazo, which will be sent to the International Space Station (ISS).
Receiving Rice Seeds from the Mayor and Children for ISS Launch
The handover ceremony was held at Kazo Miraikan, a science facility equipped with a planetarium and an astronomical observation room.
At the beginning of the ceremony, Shingo Horiguchi, CEO of DigitalBlast, expressed his gratitude to the honored guests and local community members in attendance. He spoke about the post-ISS era expected in 2030, in which private space stations will play a central role. He emphasized that space has strong connections to fields such as physics, mathematics, and biology, and he hoped that children would use this project as a learning opportunity that could lead to future innovations. He also shared his excitement about the rice seeds’ upcoming journey into space and their eventual return to be cultivated back in Kazo.
Mayor Moriyoshi Kakuta followed with a greeting, expressing his gratitude and calling the project a “dream initiative” that connects rice and space. He mentioned projections that by 2040, space tourism will involve 10,000 people and envisioned a future where rice is cultivated on the Moon. He noted that Kazo Miraikan, with its rare space suit exhibits and 4K-resolution planetarium, is the perfect venue to launch such a project linking agriculture and space. He called on all stakeholders for their continued support.
Dignitaries in attendance included Kazo City Council Chairman Yoshio Tanaka, Professor Tomomi Nonaka of Waseda University’s Faculty of Creative Science and Engineering (also a member of the METI Casting & Forging Industry Vision Committee), members of the Saitama Prefectural and Kazo City Councils, and various other guests. Chairman Tanaka commented, “We hope this collaboration between Kazo-grown rice—produced in our agriculturally rich environment—and space will inspire children to take an interest in space and contribute to regional development.” Professor Nonaka added, “We researchers are excited about this dream-like project of sending Kazo-grown rice into space. Curiosity and simple questions like ‘Why?’ or ‘How?’ will lead to the future of science. We hope to create a learning environment together.”
In addition, House of Representatives member and Vice Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Atsushi Nonaka, sent congratulatory remarks, stating, “I hope the Kazo Space Rice Project becomes a catalyst for regional industrial development, employment stimulation, and growing public interest in space.”
Finally, three students representing the future generation of Kazo from Ogoe Elementary School each shared heartfelt messages about the project. Afterwards, two bags of rice seeds were ceremonially passed from the students to the mayor, and then from the mayor to Mr. Horiguchi.
About the “Kazo Space Rice Project”
DigitalBlast is working on the “Kazo Space Rice Project” in collaboration with Kazo City as a regional revitalization initiative that leverages space utilization. The project aims to send Kazo-grown rice seeds to the ISS, store them in space for several months, and upon their return to Earth, use them to produce a branded space rice.
DigitalBlast CEO Horiguchi, a native of Kazo City, proposed the project with the goal of contributing to regional development through space. Through this initiative, the company aims to promote Kazo’s charm both domestically and internationally.
Upcoming Schedule
The rice seeds received from Kazo City will be launched later this year aboard a scheduled rocket* and delivered to the ISS.
The seeds will be stored in Japan’s “Kibo” module on the ISS for approximately five months* before being returned to Earth and planted in Kazo.
* Launch vehicle and date are currently under coordination.
* Storage duration in space may be subject to change based on ISS operations.
Until launch, the seeds will be stored under controlled humidity and environmental conditions.
A mission patch was specially designed for this project. The main motif shows a rice grain silhouette tracing a path to space, incorporating Kazo City’s official colors: blue and orange.
About DigitalBlast’s Support for Space Environment Utilization
Under the vision of “Bringing Value to Space,” DigitalBlast employs experts with experience in space experiments and satellite/space hardware development. The team supports a variety of space missions for both public and private clients.
As space business garners increasing global attention, space-based research and development holds great potential for regional innovation and value creation.
If you are interested in using space to support local revitalization or new regional industries, please feel free to contact DigitalBlast.