A group company of Tohnichi Printing—one of the world’s largest newspaper printing firms—has newly entered the field of wood-ear mushroom cultivation. With newspaper circulation declining, printing plants across the industry face a common challenge: how to make effective use of existing facilities and skilled employees.
Against this backdrop, the company initiated a new business venture to leverage its controlled production environment in a completely different field.

Wood-ear mushroom is a traditional edible fungus widely used in Asian cuisine. In recent years, it has also been gaining popularity worldwide as a healthy, plant-based food valued for its rich nutritional profile—particularly its exceptionally high vitamin D content.

To launch this initiative, the customer constructed a full-scale indoor cultivation facility equipped with an environmental control system inside their existing printing plant premises.

In general, cultivating wood-ear mushrooms requires precise control of temperature and humidity, along with periodic watering several times a day. The customer approached us for a solution capable of providing both stable humidification and uniform watering across multiple cultivation shelves.

Their cultivation facility before operation | Dry Fog humidifier (in the foreground)

Another reason they contacted us was our long-standing track record of supplying humidification systems to newspaper printing plants—facilities that, because of their need for strict moisture control to ensure print quality, already maintain environmental conditions remarkably well suited for mushroom cultivation.

(Reference: Mainichi Shimbun English Edition)
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20251003/p2a/00m/0op/018000c

First, we presented our extensive experience not only in printing plants but also in mushroom cultivation rooms. Based on the customer’s requirements, we proposed the following:

• AKIMist “E” Dry Fog Humidifiers
  Producing ultra-fine Dry Fog, these humidifiers raise humidity efficiently without wetting crops or equipment, even upon contact.
  When integrated with the environmental control system, they enable stable, automatic maintenance of the humidity levels ideal for wood-ear cultivation.
• BBXP Series Wide-Angle Full Cone Spray Nozzles
  With a wide 120° spray angle and uniform spray distribution, these nozzles are ideal for periodic watering, delivering even moisture across mushroom beds.

Left: Dry Fog Humidifiers AKIMist “E” | Right: Wide-angle Full Cone Spray Nozzles BBXP Series

We also designed the layout to ensure uniform humidity throughout the room and to provide even watering across all cultivation shelves.

The Dry Fog system enabled the facility to raise humidity quickly and maintain the target humidity level automatically, creating optimal growing conditions for wood-ear mushrooms.

Although the fog becomes dense enough to turn the air white in seconds, the droplets are so fine that workers do not get wet, providing a comfortable working environment that is well appreciated by the cultivation staff.

The BBXP nozzles deliver consistent moisture to every cultivation shelf at the required intervals, supporting stable and uniform growth throughout the facility.

“IKEUCHI’s Dry Fog is truly the best.
Within seconds the whole place turns white, but the mist is so fine we don’t get wet while working.
Thanks to it, our wood-ear mushrooms are growing beautifully.”

IKEUCHI’s fog system continues to support healthy wood-ear mushroom cultivation, while helping maintain a comfortable and efficient working environment.

Dry Fog Humidifiers AKIMist “E”

Wide-angle Full Cone Spray Nozzles BBXP Series