nagano translates into english as "a long field" and considering how lush and green it looks outside,anese cuisine, has grown here for over 2,000 years. but those who farm it are struggling to keep up. more than half of the residents here in shinanomachi are over 60. as farming falls out of favour and youngsters are lured by the lifestyle of japan's cities, there are fewer people able to attend to this vital crop. i'm meeting kaoru kikuchi, from a start—up supporting farms as the labour force shrinks. hello! konnichiwa! how are you? very good, lovely to meet you. wow, so this is a rice field? yes. it's really beautiful... it is. ..and it's a lot hillier than i was expecting. yes. raised dams keep the water in each field but means significant weeding forfarmers, who must patrol the paths to spread fertilisers and deter pests. farmers like hironori saito. for ageing farmers, it's robots to the rescue as this smartphone—controlled mower keeps weeds in check. just press here and then push autopilot. so, you just press that and off it goes? sure. amazing! how does the robot know where to g