The TV anime "Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin," based on the rice farming action game that stirred up the "Reiwa Rice Riot," has announced a collaboration with the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation (JA).

As part of the project, a "Bucket Rice" collaboration is being conducted to spark interest and awareness about rice among the younger generation. The "Bucket Rice Cultivation" initiative, promoted by the JA Group as part of the "Good Food for Everyone Project" since the first year of Heisei, aims to enhance appreciation not only for rice and rice farming culture but also for a Japanese-style diet centered around rice and domestic agricultural products. This initiative involves providing seeds and cultivation manuals and has been targeting children who will shape the future.

With a history spanning 35 years, the JA Group's bucket rice cultivation project has become a staple in educational institutions nationwide as a teaching material for food and agricultural education, with over 11.4 million sets distributed to date.

This campaign, under the hashtag "#SakunaBucketRiceDiary," will showcase attempts at bucket rice cultivation on the anime's official X (formerly Twitter) account (@sakuna_anime) through October. Additionally, a lottery will award 397 individuals with a special "Sakuna Bucket Rice Cultivation Set," which includes original stickers from the TV anime "Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin."

Launched in 2020, the game is set on "Island of Hinoe," blending action against island-dominating demons with intricately recreated ancient Japanese rice cultivation in a Japanese-style action RPG. The game features detailed rice farming processes like field preparation, planting, and harvesting. Successfully harvesting good rice strengthens the protagonist, the goddess of harvest Sakuna, integrating rice cultivation as a critical element of game strategy. The game's realistic portrayal of rice farming led players to joke that the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries' website was the best guide, contributing to discussions about the "Reiwa Rice Riot." The game has shipped over 1.5 million units worldwide, enjoying robust sales.

The anime adaptation is produced by P.A.WORKS, known for "SHIROBAKO" and "Hanasaku Iroha." The cast features returning familiar voices from the original game, including Naomi Oozora as Sakuna, the goddess of harvest, and Rika Kinugawa as Kokorowa Hime, Sakuna’s close friend and a high-ranking deity residing in the capital.

Edit By Taimu Tsuji
Source ORICON NEWS