Disassembling the new model of agricultural culture and tourism from the world-famous Mokumoku Farm in Japan
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2024-09-14
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Currently, domestic parent-child farms are generally still in the exploratory stage, and there is still much to learn. Speaking of referential cases worth learning from, we must mention the MOKUMOKU Farm in Japan, which enjoys a high reputation in the agricultural tourism industry. This sausage factory, which was on the verge of bankruptcy more than 30 years ago, now, with only 200 mu of land, has created a business miracle with 500,000 annual tourist visits, an average stay of 4-5 hours, and an annual turnover exceeding 5.4 billion yen (approximately 450 million RMB).
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In 2023, the market size of parent-child tourism reached 190.54 billion yuan. This data reflects the strong growth momentum of the parent-child tourism market. Compared with 2022, the market size in 2023 increased by 8.46% year-on-year. At the same time, according to data from the Ctrip platform, the number of rural tourism orders during the summer vacation increased by more than 50% year-on-year, and the number of rural parent-child tourism orders increased by more than 100%, becoming the biggest growth driver.

Of course, the success of MOKUMOKU was not achieved overnight, and it cannot be completely replicated, but its innovative model is worth our study and analysis.
Industry Development History
The core industry is the foundation of sustainable themes
When it comes to agricultural tourism, we talk about themes, positioning, primary, secondary, and tertiary industries, including the sixth industry of three-industry integration, etc., as a formula.
So what about the theme?
The theme often originates from the core industry of agriculture (the primary industry we often mention). Don't consider creating something artificial, but focus more on resource exploration. Understand the local core industry, and then add creative content to form your own theme and characteristics.
MOKUMOKU Farm is a typical case of three-industry integration. Its development seized the core industry—Iga pigs. The rich industrial system we see in MOKUMOKU today did not start with a clear structure from the beginning, nor did it have so much capital to deploy various types. This was achieved through time and opportunity.
[The core industry is the foundation of economic growth. There are many opportunities visible in industrial development, but we must also consider costs and the feedback from on-site operations. We need to build a solid foundation step by step, and we don't need to develop in multiple directions from the start.]
MOKUMOKU Historical Development

Image source: Internet
Looking back at the 30-year history of MOKUMOKU, its predecessor relied on Iga pigs to produce various meat products for economic benefits. However, due to its remote location and sparse population, its business was bleak. After much exploration, in 1989, it began to launch "handmade additive-free Iga pork sausages," making the production process completely public. This began to attract many city dwellers to visit with their children. Some even wrote letters to purchase sausages, and some even came here in person to learn how to make sausages. This is when MOKUMOKU began to make a major turnaround.
[This served as a good example for MOKUMOKU's subsequent shift from production and processing to experiential courses.]
In addition, from the 1980s to the late 1990s, as the living standards of Japanese people continued to improve and their leisure time increased, the Japanese government began to vigorously develop rural tourism, attempting to narrow the gap between urban and rural areas. MOKUMOKU once again seized the opportunity. The founder, Kimura Osamu, contacted handicraft beer workshops, milk processing workshops, and malt processing workshops in Aoyama Town, and cooperated with local farmers and communities to combine these workshops and create a destination for city dwellers to visit and experience.
[This alliance and co-creation achieved a rich and professional range of businesses at the lowest cost, realizing shared revenue.]
In 1955, this farm, adhering to a pristine approach, with the theme of "pigs, nature, and agriculture," targeting families with children and starting from parent-child education, integrated production, processing, sales, leisure sightseeing agriculture, and online shopping into a sixth-industry themed leisure farm.
MOKUMOKU Farm Was thus born
[Clearly defining the theme, positioning, and direction of development is very important. It provides clear guidance for subsequent content product creation and deepens brand impression in the minds of consumers.]
Extreme Theme IP
The "Pig" Theme is Consistent Throughout the IP
MOKUMOKU is located in the Iga region and has a unique livestock product—the Iga pig. Locally, wood vinegar acid is mixed with feed and used to feed the pigs. The wood vinegar acid becomes alkaline in the pig's body, which has a lipid-altering effect. The Iga pigs raised in this way not only have tender meat but also almost no fishy smell.
Therefore, the Iga pig is its core industry. To strengthen this symbol, the farm has taken the "pig" IP to the extreme. From the primary industry of Iga pig farming, to the secondary industry of handmade Iga pork sausages, to the tertiary industry of pig-themed experiential tourism projects, including the ubiquitous cartoon signposts, pig sculptures, catering and food, pig performances and competitions, its image is also used in product packaging. The gifts given away also allow people to instantly recognize that the gift comes from MOKUMOKU. Even the name MOKUMOKU comes from the sound the pigs make when they eat.
▲ Iga pig sculpture
▲ Pig performance
▲ Sausage and pig bun making experience
▲ Sausage food
▲ Iga pig cultural and creative products
▲ Iga pig signage
Ecological Cycle Construction
Complete Industrial Chain
Integration of production, processing, distribution, and sales
The farm is mainly divided into dining areas, leisure and entertainment areas, shopping areas, accommodation areas, and hot spring areas, providing sightseeing tours, science education, product exhibitions, catering and food, leisure experiences, commodity purchases, and resort accommodation services.
These functional area contents all originate from MOKUMOKU's own industrial model, under which the industry is constantly being developed, adjusted, and expanded.
The model can be summarized as primary industry planting/breeding, secondary industry agricultural product processing, and tertiary industry rural tourism services and sales, forming an integrated leisure agricultural development model from field to table, encompassing "planting, processing, production, learning, tasting, playing, and entertainment".
Secondary Industry: Processing Industry
Mainly the production of smoked pork products, milk processing, wine processing, logistics and sales of self-built factory products.
Tertiary Industry: Tourism Industry
Mainly composed of diverse business formats such as product exhibitions, agricultural and pastoral sightseeing, handicrafts, science education, catering, health and resort, and product purchases. The experience connects to the malt workshop, local beer workshop, bread and pastry workshop, pig theme hall, char siu theme hall, sausage theme hall, PAPA natural restaurant, rural restaurant, barbecue house, handicraft experience hall, vegetable market, open-air hot spring, and resort shops on the site.
As can be seen above, the industrial content is the production itself, and it is also a part of the experience projects and product sales. For example, the farm provides a wealth of agricultural experience activities, and tourists can participate in activities such as planting, picking crops, and raising animals on the farm. Including workshops and some themed venues, in addition to visiting and shopping, they can also serve as science and research learning content. Combining experience and sales.
Child-Friendly Farm
Prioritizing children's experience
As a leading family-friendly leisure farm, MOKUMOKU, in addition to family-interactive agricultural experience activities, also reflects child-friendly details throughout the site.
(1) Natural Materials
The overall style of the farm maintains a sense of primitive ecology, with most materials using wood and colors mainly in elegant earth tones, reflecting the characteristics of natural harmony.
(2) Child Scale
The farm scene settings will consider the child's scale. In some adult-participating occasions, children's areas will also be opened to promote communication between families and children.
(3) Interesting Science and Education Signage
There are also interesting science and education signs everywhere on the site, represented by pig images, using cartoons as a guide and prompt for the site.

Compound Agricultural, Cultural, and Tourism Approach
Sustainable Business Model
MOKUMOKU Farm is an agricultural business model that emphasizes sustainable development and environmental protection. Under this model, the farm mainly focuses on planting healthy and organic agricultural products and minimizing the negative impact on the environment. The main sources of income include agricultural product sales, eco-tourism and experience activities, agricultural product processing and product sales, agricultural education and training, and cooperation with ecological environmental protection agencies, food companies, and government departments to provide ecological products. In addition to offline income, there is also an online store.
Like other destinations, MOKUMOKU also has tickets, but they are almost negligible. The ticket price is not high. As long as you become a MOKUMOKU member, the membership fee is 2000 yen per person with a validity period of two years (less than 100 RMB), and 500 yen shopping vouchers are given to members upon joining, which can exempt tickets.
The membership is not only a change in tourist identity but also begins to enjoy certain rights to use and consume the farm. The rich flora and fauna resources of the farm have led to rich activity content in different seasons and festivals, which has greatly increased the return rate of members. Today, MOKUMOKU has more than 50,000 members, which is also a hidden advertising base. Through the members' "self-owned channels" to spread publicity, the venue continuously accumulates brand awareness and customer acquisition.
In terms of marketing, MOKUMOKU has always been playing a word-of-mouth marketing strategy. Members are one way, and the farm also provides customers who consume at hotels cooperating with the farm with a coupon for a free farm experience, which can continuously expand its customer base. In addition, farm-specific agricultural product supermarkets have been established at important intersections, selling products while expanding publicity.
The Japanese MOKUMOKU Farm provides a compound agricultural, cultural, and tourism approach. The farm has a clear theme and target customer group, creating rich experiential content and developing products based on overall positioning, achieving a win-win situation in economic and social benefits. This certainly takes time to settle. We cannot replicate MOKUMOKU, but its 30 years of experience has provided us with a lot of reference, which is worth our consideration and learning.
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