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.

Monday, March 22, 2010

workday 3-22-10



Last year, Gen acquired two big fields right by the Nou-en project house. One of them is slated to become a community garden and the other we're using to grow our own crops. We've got onions, wheat, strawberries, peas in the ground and now a scattering of turnip, komatsuna, mizuna, and shungiku (chrysanthemum greens). Today we got lots of work done: picking out rocks from the community garden field, weeding, building trellises for the peas to grow on, planting seeds, dropping off a truckload of horse manure, and setting up a water tank by the field to brew compost tea. Tomorrow, if it's not rainy, we'll plant potatoes, ginger, and taro root.
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1 comment:

  1. Jon KearneyMarch 23, 2010 at 1:39 PM

    I cannot think of a more peaceful way to spend the day than to care for the life of the earth.

    ReplyDelete

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