Kamikatsu, a mountain town with a population of just over two thousand, was seeing their small town grow static. Their famous mandarin oranges were destroyed due to cold weather and the lumber industry was becoming sluggish. Tomoji Yokoishi, currently Irotoridori, Co., Ltd.’s executive, was determined to revive the town by finding the perfect business that would match the town’s aging demographic.
The idea for his current business, Irotoridori, flashed through his mind when Yokoishi came across the inedible leaves that decorated the dishes at a traditional Japanese restaurant. Utilizing the internet to network between the locals, who picked leaves in the surrounding fields and mountainsides, and the hotels and restaurants that were in need of the leaves, the company provided Kamikatsu a collective income of US$2 million a year.