Nine years ago, the Japanese IT recruitment firm, Pasona Group decided to grow a rice paddy field in the basement of an office tower in Tokyo’s financial district. Now, they are being hailed in Japan as pioneers for a new kind of urban farming.

Taking occupancy of their new Tokyo HQ in 2010, Pasona collaborated with New York firm Kono Designs to create the urban farm. Housing 800 employees across 9 storeys, Pasona have dedicated over 40,000 sq ft to green space growing over 200 species of plants, fruits vegetables and rice.

Looking after the Pasona office farm is a full time job for the 10 resident urban farmers. When they’re not picking, watering or pruning they lead tours, meet customers and encourage employees to help care for the plants. The creation of the new Pasona headquarters includes office areas, an auditorium, cafeterias (serving urban farm produce), a rooftop garden and urban farming facilities.

See also: Google’s Tokyo office (complete with bathhouses, authentic yatai (mobile food stalls), a hairy cafe, fish ponds and timber houses).