became the dream of his sons,
and their dream
became the hope of Japanese agriculture.
Ichiro KamimuraPresident and CEO,
Kamimura Livestock Co., Ltd.
Masashi KamimuraPresident and CEO,
Kamichiku Holdings Co., Ltd.
Hiroyuki KamimuraExecutive Managing Director,
Kamichiku Co., Ltd.
The Kamimura Brothers – Fulfilling Their Father’s Dream (A History of Three Brothers)
A strong, straightforward father
and a gentle, sunflower-like mother.
All three were mischievous kids, but they grew up right.
Tell us about your parents.
Ichiro (eldest): As a child, I thought our father was very scary—quick-tempered and impatient. But he taught us to live straightforwardly and showed great kindness. Thanks to that, I believe we grew up without becoming twisted. Our mother is someone who always cared about those around her. I'm proud of her. We are who we are today thanks to the strengths of both our parents.
Masashi (second son): Our father was known in the neighborhood for being extremely strict. But he lived with integrity and honesty. Our mother was like a sunflower—someone who embraced everyone.
Hiroyuki: (youngest): My father was quick to start a business—and quick to let go. We also ran a poultry business, but when I was in 4th grade, our mother got into a car accident while delivering eggs and was hospitalized. The very next day, my father decided to sell all 3,000 chickens to focus on cattle. I thought, 'He’s a man of decisive action.' My mother's strength lies in her humanity—that’s something truly admirable and worth learning from.
Their father, Fujiichi, often spoke to his three sons about both the beauty and the hardships of agriculture.
What kind of children were you?
Ichiro: I might have had some leadership qualities. Whenever something happened in the neighborhood, people would gather at our front door, or leave their tools at our house and come over to play. The second son used to pick on the youngest. I never bullied my brothers. But the second son would always look for an opening to jump on me and wrestle. As a kid, I never lost. But when I was 20 and he was a senior in high school, I tried to carry him on my back, but he pulled me down, jumped on top, and started choking me. That’s when I thought, “Ah, I can’t beat him anymore.”
Masashi: It’s all about communication. (laughs)
Hiroyuki: Our oldest brother was kind. The second one had a short temper and was rough. His eyes were scary. But I guess that shows he had a strong core.
Masashi: Yes, I think that’s true. He was strong-willed and straightforward. Very competitive, but never bullied anyone weaker. He couldn't stand people who picked on the weak.
Your family was engaged in agriculture—how did you feel about that?
Masashi:
I did feel a sense of inferiority. My father worked very hard, but we weren’t wealthy. There were debts, and we weren’t really making a profit. When school friends passed by our house, they’d smell the cattle barn and say, “It stinks,” which made me feel both embarrassed and frustrated.
But perhaps without that sense of inferiority, I wouldn’t have pushed myself this far.
My father had seen many farmers and understood why they couldn’t make money, so he shared with us the foundation of what is now called the "sixth industrialization model."
He said: “The eldest will raise the cattle, the second (me) will handle the wholesale of the beef, and the youngest will sell it through retail and restaurants. You three should combine your strengths to sell. That’s the kind of agriculture we need.”
Do you have any fun or difficult memories from childhood?
Hiroyuki:
One of the fun things was going with my father early in the morning to buy cattle.
It wasn’t so much about helping with the business, but more about enjoying a good meal or the fun of the drive.
While in the car, my father would talk about the basics of business and how to negotiate.
Looking back now, I realize I was learning the fundamentals of sales and negotiation during those times.
What did you think when your father talked about sixth industrialization in agriculture?
Ichiro: I wanted to do it, and I felt we had to do it.
Masashi: My father wasn’t educating us—he was brainwashing us. (laughs)
Ichiro: My father always said he had to hand things over to his children early. In reality, I was 22 and he was 49 when the baton was passed. But because we worked together every day, we argued all the time.
Masashi:
My father and my older brother would often clash over the direction of the business.
But our father was the one who was right—he had incredible foresight.
When I was 23, I co-founded a meat wholesale company called Gyusen with a friend.
Gyusen grew steadily, but my business partner, who was struggling financially, asked me to leave.
My brother and I lost our jobs.
Still, those three years at Gyusen gave us confidence in our own business skills—we believed we could even compete with major players.
When I told my father that, he suddenly said, “Let’s remodel the barn,” and immediately started construction next to our house.
We asked the head of the agricultural cooperative for help, and he provided funding under my father’s name.
That was the very beginning of it all.
Ichiro: What made me happy was when we were struggling financially, the head of the agricultural cooperative said at a board meeting: “These kids are different. They’re the kind of children who will carry Kagoshima—and even Japan—on their shoulders. Letting them fail would be like destroying a treasure. Let’s give them our full support.” And the cooperative gave us the financial help we needed.
There are major hardships—but even more enjoyment.
Have you faced any challenges in your work?
Hiroyuki:
When I was 42, I opened the first “Ushi-no-Kura” restaurant in Hiroo, Tokyo.
The store opened at 5 p.m., but since I wasn’t used to the routine, I’d arrive by 10 a.m. to prepare.
After closing and cleaning up, I’d take the last train home, and finish up work at home by around 7 a.m.
I slept only 2.5 to 3 hours a day, and did that nonstop.
I lost about 10 kilograms in one month.
Physically, it was tough—but the fun outweighed the struggle. I was young, too.
Thanks to that experience, I now understand the challenges of the field, and it was an invaluable lesson.
Masashi:
For me, it’s been one hardship after another.
In the beginning, it was all about cash flow.
We had to buy from farmers in cash, and we didn’t have much money.
Then it became about people—I felt I had to raise and train others myself, and the pressure nearly crushed me mentally.
What saved me were the words of Mr. Motohiro Kamimura, Chairman of Kagoshima Bank.
About 14 or 15 years ago, during a lecture, he said:
"People only start to grow when their motivation switch turns on. It's the job of the leader to create that environment."
That changed my perspective—I saw myself as the one who throws the ball, but whether it hits or not is up to the person. That mindset eased the burden.
Specifically, we also faced major crises—like foot-and-mouth disease, E. coli O-157, and BSE.
Each one was incredibly difficult at the time, but with the help of those around me, we managed to get through.
My favorite phrase is "Yossha, yossha!" ("Alright, let’s go!")
That forward-looking spirit—I inherited it from my parents.
Now that COVID has ended, I believe there are new opportunities ahead.
Ichiro:
On the contrary, I believe now is a huge opportunity.
Companies with visionary leaders are the ones that grow.
In cattle fattening, one cycle takes 1.5 to 2 years—you can’t just change things overnight.
It’s a job where you have to gradually build a structure that looks 3, 5, even 10 years into the future.
Masashi: In that sense, my brother has built a very solid system for sustainable, forward-looking management.
Do you ever argue over work?
Masashi:
My older brother takes the lead in managing our family farm, Kamimura Livestock, and I play more of an advisory role.
Sometimes I voice complaints, but since we’re brothers, we can speak frankly and without hesitation.
I think that’s turned into a very good dynamic.
Ichiro: When my younger brother (the second son) founded Kamichiku, neither my father nor I got involved in management at all. We thought that if we were even slightly involved, it would likely lead to arguments. I think our father was wise in that regard too.
Hiroyuki:
Of course, we have different opinions about work.
But personal ego has never been a factor.
Each of us speaks out of concern for Kamichiku, the farmers, and our staff.
That’s something I’m really proud of.
Why do you think Kamichiku has grown so much?
Ichiro: I think it’s because we’ve always run the business with honesty and integrity. As the eldest son, people sometimes ask me, “Aren’t you bothered that your younger brother’s company has grown so much?” But not at all. I’ve seen firsthand how sincerely my brother works with the customer in mind. It only makes sense that the company would grow.
Masashi:
Realizing early on that “I’m not particularly gifted” might have actually helped me.
It goes back to my father’s teachings—he always told us from a young age to “be humble” and “be sincere.”
That mindset is at the root of everything I do.
Hiroyuki:
Our group’s core educational principles are: “greet others,” “respond properly,” “clean up after yourself,” and “keep your promises.”
Making these values known and lived is key.
Kamichiku’s strength lies in building a strong tertiary sector.
Expanding our food service business is efficient from a cash flow standpoint.
The question is: where do we return the value we’ve created as a group?
Right now, the primary sector is facing serious challenges, and we must return support there.
Building an organization that can do that—that, I believe, is Kamichiku’s greatest strength.
Together with our sunflower-like mother.
If you were to share the strengths and appeal of agriculture with others, what would you say?
Ichiro:
It’s the growth of the cattle. That’s the joy of primary industry, isn’t it?
If you pour love into them, they give it back to you. It’s just like raising children—
if you pay close attention and care for them properly, they grow into good cattle.
Of course, there are ups and downs depending on the quality of the meat in the end.
But that’s all part of the depth and richness of agriculture.
Masashi:
As we enter an era of food crises and global population growth, agriculture and livestock farming offer great opportunities within the broader food industry.
If we develop the techniques in Japan to cultivate the land, produce feed, raise cattle, turn them into meat, and sell that meat through food service—
we can then take that know-how to the world. That’s how Kamichiku can become a global brand.
From the perspective of the tertiary sector, what is agriculture’s greatest strength?
Hiroyuki:
The biggest strength is the ability to provide stable quality, pricing, and volume.
For our Kamichiku Group restaurants, we can ensure consistent pricing and supply throughout the year.
Restaurant menus typically change three to four times a year, right?
If costs remain stable year-round, it’s easier for restaurants to plan pricing.
They can take action in advance.
That kind of stability—supported by our primary industry foundation—is our greatest weapon.
What are your future goals or dreams?
Ichiro:
I’m not really interested in going on leisurely trips or anything like that.
As long as I can go around visiting farms—which I love—that’s enough for me.
Hiroyuki:
I’ll also stick to being hands-on for life.
I absolutely love the food service industry.
So going forward, I want to keep visiting our restaurants, being on-site, talking with customers,and communicating with our staff to keep the energy and atmosphere alive.
Masashi:
I feel the same. When I eventually step back from the front lines,
I want to spend time visiting farms, caring for cattle, and talking with people in the local communities.
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to grow old.
I believe that understanding old age is what completes a person.
When I reach that point, I think I’ll finally be able to reflect on my life—
on whether I fulfilled the life I was given, carrying the genes of my grandparents and parents.
