PROFILE
Born in Tokyo , Japan in 1982. After moving to New York at the age of 21 to study fashion, he returned to Japan 8 years later. After that, he worked for a domestic apparel company in charge of brand PR and sales, and focused on developing the Asian market. During this time, he met the president of a company, which led him to enter the world of agriculture. 2014, he established "T.Y.FARM" in Ome City, Tokyo, but when the parent company withdrew from the business, he became independent and launched "Ome Farm" in 2017 to make a fresh start.
. he was determined to put his entire thirties into farming.
Tokyo in the early morning at the end of June, 2020 . Even in the rainy season, when the weather is still uncertain and the morning air is still a bit dreary, someone gets into a Renault Kangoo with a dignified expression on his face and a sure footing. The Kangoo is a car suited for farming," said Mr. Futoshi Ota, who runs a farm called "Ome Farm" in Ome City, Tokyo.
I spent much of my twenties in New York City . My goal was to lay the foundation for a career in clothing and fashion shows, and I was inspired by the lifestyle of New Yorkers. Not only did they live in the city, but when the weekend or holiday season came around, they would travel to the suburbs to farm and make wine. I was attracted to this way of life," he said.
." says Mr. Ota, looking back on his younger days. After returning to Japan, he worked for an apparel company. He says that he established T.Y. Farm, the predecessor of Ome Farm, at the invitation of a certain person he met through his work there.
. "During my apparel days, I assisted with PR and import/export for both domestic and international brands. Once I organized a large-scale exhibition event in Taiwan, which was a great success. The president of a company who saw my work said he wanted to work with me, and among the various proposals he made to me was the idea of "agriculture," and I was immediately taken by the idea. I wanted to try it, and I was interested in nature, so I quit my apparel job and established a farm. At first, I was doing it with the capital of the president's company, but in 2017, he decided to withdraw from farming, so we bought the business and restarted it as "Ome Farm".
Mr. Ota was attracted to farming for a good reason. His daughter, who was born around that time, was also a big part of it.
. my daughter was born around the time I was approached about farming. She had a congenital disorder of thyroid hormone function , and it was a time when we were looking for a treatment other than medication. . Agriculture is the source of food, isn't it? So, it is true that I felt that if I continued to feed her healthy vegetables, she might be able to manage. I was 31 years old at the time, and I was determined to spend the rest of my 30s in agriculture. No matter how successful I became in the apparel business, it would be meaningless if my daughter was not happy. As a parent of a daughter, I chose to work while dealing with her.
