Aeon Co., the nation's largest supermarket chain, now plans to become the nation's largest rice grower.
Starting with 11 hectares of rice paddies leased from local farmers, its Aeon Agri Create Co. farming subsidiary is due to begin production at a site north of Tokyo in Saitama Prefecture next year, Aeon spokesman Norihito Ikkai said.
Chiba-based Aeon, which sells everything from fresh food to bicycles in its 424 stores, aims to lease 100 hectares — almost 50 times the average farmer's plot — by 2020.