In Japan there was a story of how the Japanese Agriculture Ministry is not responsible for the Mobile Suit Gundam series after employees were caught editing the Japanese Wikipedia page for the series in 2007, and memes ensued.

However, it turns out that the Agriculture Ministry do have responsibility for another anime / video game, and in an appropriate work for the ministry’s focus: the rice-planting game Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin, whose anime is currently airing since July 6. The collab got its first artwork, here’s a full look:

The collaboration was first revealed last June by the makers of the Sakuna anime together with the Ministry, as the latter hopes youths will go to the countryside and learn more about rice planting techniques.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, or MAFF as the ministry is often called, also released a video via Toho’s YouTube channel, proclaiming “Rice is Power”. More collaboration is planned for August, which includes an educational day for children.

MAFF is also credited as a consultant in the anime and helped both the producers of the anime and the game maker Edelweiss about how rice is realistically planted, cared, and harvested. Here’s a video from the MAFF introducing the collaboration:

Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is a 2020 video game produced by Edelweiss, and it is about Sakuna, banished to Earth along with her familiar the dog-like Tama.

She and Tama along with a band of humans end up to the Isle of Demons, and tasked by Lady Kamuhitsuki to clear the island of demons and ensure the humans’ safety, all while planting rice to regain her powers.

The animated adaptation, airing on July 2024, is produced by P.A. Works and Toho Animation, directed by Masayuki Yoshihara, with series composition by Jukki Hanada (Sengoku Youko), Mio Fujishima as character designer, and music composition by Yoshiaki Fujisawa (Mushoku Tensei).