By Yota Maeda

Copyright newsonjapan

In Yugawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, goats eagerly graze at a farm established by Yota Maeda, the head of Tokyo-based startup Mujou. Maeda, who launched a funeral services business while still at university, opened the goat farm in 2024. His latest venture offers goat grazing services as an alternative to conventional weeding methods.

Unlike machines, the goats consume the grass directly, eliminating the need for herbicides or the burning of clippings. “Their bleating is not particularly disruptive, and the animals don’t produce a strong odor,” Maeda said. Contracts have already been signed with both businesses and individuals.

One client is a large clinical testing facility capable of processing hundreds of thousands of samples daily thanks to advanced automation and AI systems. The company introduced goats into its courtyard on a trial basis, allowing them to handle grass management. “They work tirelessly from morning onward,” said Sakuya Odashima from H.U. Group Holdings’ HR and General Affairs Services Division. Employees also report feeling refreshed by the presence of the goats, with some noting how their greetings at the end of the day boost morale.

Behind Maeda’s project is a strong awareness of broader national issues, particularly the spread of abandoned farmland. By deploying goats, unused land can be restored, which may also help deter wild animal intrusions. “In an era of population decline, we can’t maintain everything perfectly, but by leaving animals to graze, the land doesn’t lose its potential. We’re preserving it in a usable state,” Maeda explained.

Goat droppings naturally decompose, and Maeda is considering ways to repurpose them as fire starters, aiming to expand the scope of the business further.

Source: FNN