Some companies are now introducing a system that allows employees to grow and pick fresh strawberries at the office every day of the year.
Companies that adopt the system only need to refill it with water mixed with fertilizer and pollinate the strawberries using a brush about once every two days. Light, temperature, circulation of liquid fertilizer, and other conditions are automatically controlled.
The system, measuring 180 centimeters high, 180 centimeters wide, and 70 centimeters deep, contains a total of about 60 strawberry plant seedlings, from which 10 to 15 strawberries can be picked every day.
This service was developed jointly by Nisshinbo Holdings Inc., of Chuo Ward, Tokyo, and Nippon Shuppan Hanbai Inc., often called Nippan, of Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo. Nisshinbo Holdings was founded as a textile company and now operates facilities that produce a large amount of strawberries all year round, while Nippan is a leading wholesaler of books and a "space designer" for businesses such as book hotels and bookstores that charge entry fees. Okamura Corporation, a major Yokohama-based office furniture company that also possesses technology for manufacturing refrigerated showcases, produces cabinets for the systems. The service is called "City Farming," and its catchphrase is "Bringing the richness of farming to your life."
Read more at The Japan News