TOKYO8: Microbial Soil Health Activator for Enhanced Crop Productivity

Activating Soil Life for Sustainable Productivity

TOKYO8 is a 100% organic concentrated liquid microbial soil activator. The formulation contains a diverse consortium of more than 1,500 beneficial microorganisms that stimulate soil biological activity, accelerate the natural decomposition of organic matter, and enhance nutrient cycling to improve nutrient availability. Suitable for a wide range of Crops, including Rice, Maize, Onion, Potato, Chinese Cabbage, and Tomato, TOKYO8 is supplied as a biodegradable, odorless, non-hazardous formulation certified under the JAS Organic standard. The preparation contains a diverse group of beneficial microorganisms, including Proteobacteria, Chloroflexus, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes, along with enzymes like lipase and protease and essential trace elements such as magnesium, iron, and zinc.

This technology is pre-validated.

8•8

Scaling readiness: idea maturity 8/9; level of use 8/9

Cost vs. revenue

Data reliability of this estimate:: 70 %

Return on investment 860 %

Every USD invested returns USD 8.6 net income.

Detailed financial information ›

IP

Trademark

Problem

Declining soil health reduces nutrient availability, weakens crop growth, and lowers agricultural productivity.
Poor nutrient availability limits crop performance and reduces the efficiency of fertilizer investments.
Declining soil fertility weakens root development and reduces yield potential across agricultural production systems.
Heavy dependence on synthetic fertilizers increases production costs while failing to restore long-term soil productivity.

Solution

Restores soil health by reactivating beneficial microbial activity that strengthens the natural processes responsible for nutrient availability, healthy crop growth, and productive soils.
Improves nutrient availability and fertilizer efficiency, resulting in up to 20% yield improvement through enhanced nutrient cycling, allowing crops to make better use of available nutrients by enhancing nutrient cycling through microbial decomposition of organic matter, allowing crops to make better use of available nutrients.
Rebuilds soil fertility by improving soil biological functions that promote stronger root development, healthier plant growth, and sustained agricultural productivity.
Reduces dependence on synthetic fertilizers through a 100% organic microbial formulation that restores soil functionality while supporting more sustainable and cost-efficient crop production.

Key points to design your business plan

Manufacturers / Franchise Partners

TOKYO8 offers a unique opportunity to establish licensed local production and distribution businesses through an innovative, low-investment franchise model. Supported by technology transfer and technical assistance from Taiyo Yuka Co., Ltd., the model combines proven microbial technology with a scalable business opportunity that enables sustainable local manufacturing, regional market expansion, and long-term business growth. To successfully integrate this technology :

Secure franchise rights and technical know-how from Taiyo Yuka Co., Ltd. to obtain production licenses, technology transfer, and ongoing technical support.
Establish compliant production facilities that meet the technology owner's production specifications, quality assurance requirements, and manufacturing standards.
Leverage locally available organic biomass through the franchise production system to produce TOKYO8, reducing production costs while promoting circular resource use and local value addition.
Develop strategic partnerships with governments, agricultural development programmes, producer organizations, agro-dealer networks, and commercial farms to expand production, strengthen market penetration, and increase customer demand.
Capitalize on the TOKYO8 franchise model, combining technology transfer, technical support, brand recognition, and projected returns of 510–815%, while creating skilled employment, strengthening domestic agro-industries, and expanding national production capacity.

Distributors / Service Providers

TOKYO8 creates opportunities to supply an innovative biological soil health solution that responds to the growing demand for regenerative and sustainable agriculture. Its expanding franchise network, simplified logistics, and broad crop applicability make it an attractive addition to agricultural input portfolios.

To successfully integrate this technology, consider the following key factors:

Source products through authorized franchise partners or licensed manufacturers to ensure product authenticity, quality, and reliable supply.
Take advantage of simplified logistics, as the product is non-hazardous, non-flammable, easy to transport and store, and requires no specialized handling procedures.
Provide value-added services through product demonstrations, technical advisory services, customer training, and soil health recommendations to strengthen customer confidence and encourage repeat adoption.
Target diverse crop value chains, including staple and horticultural crops, commercial farms, producer organizations, and agricultural development projects to maximize market opportunities.
Expand market reach by collaborating with agro-dealer networks, extension services, governments, and development partners to accelerate technology adoption and commercial growth.

End Users

TOKYO8 helps restore soil health, improve nutrient-use efficiency, and increase crop productivity through biological soil enhancement. Compatible with a wide range of cropping systems, the technology supports more sustainable, resilient, and profitable agricultural production. To successfully integrate this technology :

Purchase TOKYO8 through authorized distributors or franchise partners to ensure product quality, authenticity, and access to technical support.
Plan seasonal production budgets by including product purchase, transportation, and application costs when evaluating technology adoption.
Follow the recommended application programme throughout the cropping season to maximize improvements in soil health, nutrient-use efficiency, and crop performance.
Integrate TOKYO8 with good agronomic practices, particularly where soils contain organic matter, to optimize biological activity, nutrient availability, and long-term soil fertility.
Benefit from safe and easy handling, as the product is non-hazardous and requires no specialized storage facilities or personal protective equipment (PPE)

Positive impacts: 12

Target Groups	Positive Impacts
Women smallholder farmers in remote areas	Improves access to an easy-to-use biological soil health solution through decentralized production and distribution. Restores soil fertility and increases agricultural productivity without requiring specialized equipment or PPE. Reduces dependence on expensive chemical fertilizers, lowering production costs and improving farm profitability.
Women smallholder farmers with degraded soils	Restores soil biological activity, nutrient cycling, and soil fertility in degraded fields. Improves crop productivity, soil health, and long-term land productivity. Strengthens resilience to drought and other climate-related stresses through healthier soils.
Women farmers with degraded soils in remote areas	Expands access to sustainable soil restoration technologies in underserved locations. Improves soil functionality and resource-use efficiency under challenging farming conditions. Supports more resilient and sustainable agricultural production systems.
Smallholder farmers with degraded soils in remote areas	Restores degraded agricultural land while improving water retention and nutrient availability. Increases productivity and reduces production risks associated with poor soil health. Creates opportunities to improve food security and livelihoods through sustainable soil management.

More...

Unintended impacts: 12
Mitigations: 12

Barriers: 12
Mitigations: 12

Climate adaptability: Highly adaptable

The product is able to work in different climate and have been tested almost in all regions proving its efficacy in various types of climates.

Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement

The product work well throughout the season.

Biodiversity: Positive impact on biodiversity

It has no negative impact on animals or other plants. It is very safe for the environment and contains no chemical that will have any side effects.

Carbon footprint: A bit less carbon released

The production and usage of this product does not release any harmful carbon in the environment. It is orderless and colorless.

Environmental health: Greatly improves environmental health

Tokyo8 helps to regenerate lost soils and improve the nature of the environment by using micro organisms

Soil quality: Improves soil health and fertility

Tokyo8 improves the general quality of the soil for planting. Especially helping replace lost nutrients and stabilizing the soil for a good plantation.

Water use: A bit less water used

Tokyo8 in comparison to other fertilizers, the application method is more convenient, easy and needs less water for its effectiveness.

Scaling Readiness describes how complete a technology\’s development is and its ability to be scaled. It produces a score that measures a technology\’s readiness along two axes: the level of maturity of the idea itself, and the level to which the technology has been used so far.

Each axis goes from 0 to 9 where 9 is the “ready-to-scale” status. For each technology profile in the e-catalogs we have documented the scaling readiness status from evidence given by the technology providers. The e-catalogs only showcase technologies for which the scaling readiness score is at least 8 for maturity of the idea and 7 for the level of use.

The graph below represents visually the scaling readiness status for this technology, you can see the label of each level by hovering your mouse cursor on the number.

Scaling readiness score of this technology

Maturity of the idea 8 out of 9

Uncontrolled environment: tested

Level of use 8 out of 9

Used by some intended users, in the real world

Maturity of the idea										Level of use
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9

Positive impact 12

Target Groups	Positive Impacts
Women smallholder farmers in remote areas	Improves access to an easy-to-use biological soil health solution through decentralized production and distribution. Restores soil fertility and increases agricultural productivity without requiring specialized equipment or PPE. Reduces dependence on expensive chemical fertilizers, lowering production costs and improving farm profitability.
Women smallholder farmers with degraded soils	Restores soil biological activity, nutrient cycling, and soil fertility in degraded fields. Improves crop productivity, soil health, and long-term land productivity. Strengthens resilience to drought and other climate-related stresses through healthier soils.
Women farmers with degraded soils in remote areas	Expands access to sustainable soil restoration technologies in underserved locations. Improves soil functionality and resource-use efficiency under challenging farming conditions. Supports more resilient and sustainable agricultural production systems.
Smallholder farmers with degraded soils in remote areas	Restores degraded agricultural land while improving water retention and nutrient availability. Increases productivity and reduces production risks associated with poor soil health. Creates opportunities to improve food security and livelihoods through sustainable soil management.

Unintended impact 12

Target Groups	Potential Unintended Impacts	Mitigation Measures
Women smallholder farmers in remote areas	Limited awareness of the technology and its benefits. Limited access to distribution channels. Reduced participation in training activities due to time or mobility constraints.	Conduct targeted awareness campaigns through local organizations. Develop decentralized distribution networks and local franchise partners. Deliver flexible, community-based training adapted to women's availability.
Women smallholder farmers with degraded soils	Limited understanding of recommended application practices. Slow restoration of severely degraded soils may reduce short-term expectations. Financial constraints may limit initial adoption.	Provide practical training and technical advisory services. Promote realistic expectations and complementary soil restoration practices. Facilitate affordable access through development programmes or farmer organizations.
Women farmers with degraded soils in remote areas	Limited access to technical support after adoption. Poor market availability of the product. Risk of inconsistent application due to limited advisory services.	Strengthen extension support through local partners. Expand local production and distribution through the franchise model. Develop simple application guides and continuous follow-up support.
Smallholder farmers with degraded soils in remote areas	High transportation costs may reduce accessibility. Limited exposure to demonstration activities. Variable results if integrated soil management practices are not followed.	Promote local production and community-level distribution. Establish demonstration plots and farmer field schools. Combine TOKYO8 with integrated soil management and extension support.

Barriers 12

Target Groups	Adoption Barriers	Mitigation Measures
Women smallholder farmers in remote areas	Limited access to product distribution networks. Limited access to technical information and training. Financial constraints affecting technology adoption.	Expand decentralized distribution through franchise partners. Provide accessible training through extension services and community organizations. Promote collective purchasing and support through development programmes.
Women smallholder farmers with degraded soils	Limited knowledge of biological soil health management. Expectations of immediate results on severely degraded soils. Limited financial capacity to invest in soil restoration.	Deliver practical demonstrations and technical advisory services. Promote integrated soil restoration approaches and realistic adoption pathways. Facilitate access through farmer organizations and project support.
Women farmers with degraded soils in remote areas	Poor access to extension services. Limited availability of authorized suppliers. Geographic isolation limiting follow-up support.	Strengthen community-based advisory services. Expand local distribution through franchise networks. Develop local demonstration sites and peer learning activities.
Smallholder farmers with degraded soils in remote areas	Difficult physical access to agricultural inputs. Limited awareness of biological soil restoration technologies. Weak access to continuous technical support.	Improve product accessibility through local production and distribution. Increase awareness through demonstration plots and farmer field schools. Provide ongoing technical support through extension agents and trained service providers.

Cost of the investment Sum of all fixed and operational expenses..	USD 11,250 Per year
Gross revenue Sum of all income before subtracting costs.	USD 108,000 Per year
Net income Gross revenue minus total cost.	USD 96,750 Per year
Return on investment Percentage of income earned for each dollar invested, calculated as: (income ÷ cost of investment) × 100	860 % Per year

References:

Cost, revenue & ROI calculation sheet of Tokyo8.pdf (PDF, 267.84 KB)

Countries with a green colour: Tested & adopted
Countries with a bright green colour: Adopted
Countries with a yellow colour: Tested
Countries with a blue colour: Testing ongoing

Countries where the technology is being tested or has been tested and adopted
Country	Testing ongoing	Tested	Adopted
Angola	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Benin	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Botswana	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Burkina Faso	Testing ongoing	–Not tested	–Not adopted
Cameroon	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Côte d’Ivoire	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Democratic Republic of the Congo	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Ethiopia	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Ghana	Testing ongoing	–Not tested	–Not adopted
Kenya	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Lesotho	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Liberia	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Madagascar	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Malawi	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Morocco	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Mozambique	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Nigeria	Testing ongoing	–Not tested	–Not adopted
Rwanda	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Senegal	Testing ongoing	–Not tested	–Not adopted
Sierra Leone	Testing ongoing	–Not tested	–Not adopted
South Africa	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Tanzania	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Uganda	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Zambia	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Zimbabwe	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted

This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones. Any zones shown in white are not suitable for this technology.

Agro-ecological zones where this technology can be used
AEZ	Subtropic - warm	Subtropic - cool	Tropic - warm	Tropic - cool
Arid
Semiarid
Subhumid
Humid

Source: HarvestChoice/IFPRI 2009

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are applicable to this technology.

Goal 2: zero hunger

Improves soil fertility and agricultural productivity. Supports sustainable food production systems.

Goal 15: life on land

Restores soil biological activity and ecosystem functions. Contributes to sustainable land management and soil restoration.

Goal 12: responsible production and consumption

Promotes efficient use of nutrients and natural resources. Reduces dependence on synthetic agricultural inputs.

Goal 13: climate action

Strengthens climate resilience through improved soil functionality and water retention. Supports climate-smart agricultural practices.

Goal 8: decent work and economic growth

Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, productive employment and decent work for all.

TOKYO8 is applied as a diluted microbial solution to restore soil biological activity and support healthy crop development. Following the recommended preparation and application sequence helps maximize its effectiveness across different cropping systems.

Step 1. Prepare the solution

20.5L of TOKYO8 is for 1acre. Shake the container thoroughly before use. Dilute the concentrated TOKYO8 formulation with clean water according to the recommended application rate. For general field application, dilute 20ml of TOKYO8 per 1L of water. Avoid mixing or alternating applications with fungicides, bleach, or other disinfectants that may affect the beneficial microorganisms.

Step 2. Apply to soil and crops

Apply the diluted solution to both the soil and crop foliage using conventional spraying or irrigation equipment. For nursery production, apply 20 ml per litre of water alongside routine watering during seedling establishment, with two applications recommended to promote vigorous root development. In the field, begin application before planting or transplanting, then continue at key crop growth stages throughout the production cycle to maintain soil biological activity and crop performance.

Step 3. Follow good handling practices

Store the product in its original container in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. The biodegradable, non-hazardous formulation requires no specialized personal protective equipment when handled according to the manufacturer's recommendations.

Downloads

SAFETY DATA SHEET (ENGLISH)_240821.pdf (PDF, 347.35 KB)
A Progress Report for Tokyo8 on maize grain yields - Aug 2024.pdf (PDF, 716.05 KB)
Tokyo8 - Integrating Biofertilizers with Organic Fertilizers - Sustainability 2024.pdf (PDF, 2.99 MB)
Tokyo8-Handling-Instructions-basic.pdf (PDF, 973.47 KB)
image.png (PNG, 891.1 KB)

Last updated on Sep 4, 2026

TAIYO YUKA CO. LTD.
Enora Le Borgne

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