Nou-En

In rural Japan, as in many areas around the world, small communities are suffering from rapid population decline as young people flock to the cities. A self perpetuating cycle develops in which rural communities lose their youth to entertainment and work opportunities in the city, which cripples the local economy by leaving behind small towns and villages lacking an able workforce.
Here in Sasayama, Hyogo Prefecture, the evidence of this can be easily seen on any walk or bike ride around the valley. In some villages more than half of the houses are vacant. Many fields have been abandoned and have begun the rapid transition back to a more natural state. Elementary schools with great facilities are being forced to close due to low enrollment. At our local elementary school this year's First Grade class has three students. Village elders possess a lifetime of priceless skills and knowlege that is not being passed on because of a lack of interested youth. Looking forward in time, it is worrisome to imagine the state of these communities if current trends continue.
Seeing these things, we here at Nou En have been motivated to work for positive change. Our aim is to encourage young people from around the world to return to rural communities. We organize enthusiastic volunteers (mostly through the WWOOF organization, http://www.wwoofjapan.com) to help local farmers in exchange for healthy food and invaluable local knowlege. We network and assist local organic farms with vegetable and rice production on a regular basis. We try to enthusiastically jump in and help local villagers whenever we can. In addition to these projects, we also have our own fields and gardens as well as chickens and goats that we care for.
Because part of our aim is encouraging people to want to live in the country side we also take time to enjoy the benefits of country living. We go hiking in the surrounding mountains, swimming in ponds and streams (especially during the hot humid Japanese summer!), barbecues with friends on weekends, kendo lessons at the local gymnasium and much more.
Mostly we try to provide a communal living environment where we work, learn, and grow together, all while striving to benefit and elevate the local community.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

a few thoughts, from the field~~~

Sometimes I wonder what the farmers we work with are thinking when we show up to help them with their day's work. Initially, it must be a pretty strange idea for them. One day a mixed bag of young Japanese and foreigners starts fixing up an old house in your village. Next thing you know, they've moved in and word is spreading that they're offering free agricultural help. Free? Really? That can't be right.
And it isn't. Unless you consider friendship, cultural exchange, acceptance into a community, home cooked meals and wisdom worthless. In today's world, what I'm talking about is a lot harder to come by than money.
I have so much respect for the farmers that have accepted our help so far. Sometimes I think it's harder to accept other people's help than it is to give it-- the emotions involved in receiving something are decidedly more complex than those you have when giving something. Maybe it makes you feel a bit vulnerable or guilty or indebted. I'm grateful to them for getting past that and taking the risk of going somewhat against the grain, which is a big step in any society but especially here in Japan.Take a look at the picture below:

That's Yuriko. She's in a big field of black soybeans cultivated by a lady named Oonishi-san who lives in the next village over. Try to imagine how it would feel to maintain this field (and quite a few others) by yourself as a 70-year-old. Everyone's different, but I think I'd feel a bit overwhelmed and lonely.


We were happy to help out. Pulling up the big weeds, hoeing in the smaller ones and piling up the soil around the young black bean plants was easy and fun with 8 people helping out. When you're doing work with your friends, tasks you might otherwise consider drudgery turns into something to look forward to.

This is Gen, the brains(?) behind the project, with Oonishi-san. At the end of the day, after eliminating every last speck of a weed from her fields, she seemed delighted. She said with a big smile on her face how proud she was of how clean her fields looked.We were glad to oblige. I think we all look forward to going back to her place, especially after she brought out a basket of gleaming, sleek purple eggplants and told us she'd fry up a big batch of tempura for us to take home for dinner. She packed us a really nice basket chock full of rice balls, a richly flavorful dish of stewed green peppers, and a humongous pile of eggplant, green bean and mixed vegetable tempura with homemade dipping sauce.
This is the current crew, minus a couple of faces.

~~~posted by Anna~~~!
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1 comment:

  1. Amanda SchwartzAugust 27, 2009 at 6:04 AM

    I can't even imagine how fulfilling and relaxing an experience it would be to be a part of this project. The peace. Thanks for sharing it!

    --Amanda

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