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If you work in an urban hub like Tokyo, you can pretty much forget about seeing everyday countryside sights like rice paddies and plump red tomatoes. That is, unless you work here…

Prolific YouTuber Kirsten Dirksen is back with another cool video shot in Japan, and this time she’s paying a visit to recruitment company Pasona Group to check out their headquarters in Tokyo

But this building isn’t just some exercise in architectural minimalism or an elaborate tribute to the Art Deco movement—rather, as well as being a place of business, the company’s headquarters are home to an urban farm that grows everything from rice to fresh lettuce and tomatoes.

▼ You know you’re dealing with some out-of-the-box thinkers when their lobby doors open to reveal an honest-to-goodness rice paddy.

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The thinking behind the indoor farm is that, by growing their own vegetables (over 200 types!) in plain view of employees, as well as providing them with some much-needed greenery, staff will benefit from nutritious, vegetable-rich meals prepared on-site and served in the company canteen. The lush green interior and meeting rooms also serve to encourage younger generations to take an interest in farming—a profession that looks set to suffer a labour shortage in the next few decades as Japan’s population ages—and consider it as a career option.

We’ll let the video introduce you to the rest of this remarkable building—right now we have to go out and buy some seeds and plastic containers to make a start on our very own office garden!

To learn more about the Pasona group’s inspired urban farm, head over architecture and interior design company Kono Designs.

Featured/insert images: YouTube/Kirsten Dirksen

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