29 participants experienced harvesting and drying rice under the sun in Tochikubo, Minamiuonuma on October 17th – 18th.

The 5th class of “ABC in a Rice Paddy” in this year was held on October 17th – 18th with 29 people, including students, business persons and families from metropolitan area. This time, university students occupied a half of the group.

On the 1st day, participants had a lesson from local persons, Mr. FUEKI Akira and Mr. FUEKI Kensaku. Participants learned that the quality of rice is different each year with observing dried rice plants. In the lesson Fuekis also talked about the current condition of agriculture and challenges in village areas, and there were vigorous questionings.

Before the lesson, participants joined Tochikubo ecology research, which is conducted almost every month. They walked around the village and observed creatures. They felt rich ecosystem linked to the life of villagers in Tochikubo.

On the 2nd day, everybody predicted rain, but it was sunny from the morning, and they harvested rice under the blue sky.

In addition to workers at “Tochikubo Panorama Farm” who are helping every time, Mr. FUEKI Minoru and Mr. HIGUMA Kenkichi, both are in late 70’s, came and assisted the members. Thanks to those support, participants finished the work in about 2 and half hours.

Because it often rained before the program day, the rice paddy was really muddy. So it was difficult even to walk. But various plants and insects appeared as rice straws were being cut with sickles, and children were happy to catch flogs and “kanahebi,” or Japanese grass lizard. If we had used big machines to harvest, we couldn’t have done such things.

In the questionnaire after the program, many participants commented, “I felt rich nature in this village,” and “Communication with local people was heart-warming.” Repeating participants appreciate beautiful sceneries changing by seasons and grown relationship with villagers very much.

Last year the 1st Japan Terraced Rice Paddy Weed Art Championship was so successful and popular that the second one this year was held much more attractively and powerfully.

Last year the 1st Japan Terraced Rice Paddy Weed Art Championship was so successful and popular that the second one this year was held much more attractively and powerfully.

24 teams drew various letters and designs on the grass paths between rice paddies.

Various teams joined, such as the team of municipal staff, teachers and young villagers including high school students.

They worked on 18th and in the morning of 19th. The site was 30- degree sloped and three meters high.

It was raining all day long on 18th and they had to work at unstable slope. It stopped raining on 19th that their work moved on smoothly under the sun. At noon 25 pieces of work were done.

Tochikubo ELS team drew a design for celebration of 130th year that 12 students designed.

Farm market was opened at the same time. Many kinds of vegetables, such as potatoes, cucumbers, zucchinis, and mini tomatoes helped warm this event up.

One of the participants said, \”At the beginning, I thought it stupid to join weeding with participating fee, but I found it fun! \”

WATANABE Seisuke, Associate professor of Nagaoka Institute of Design said, \”It is very interesting. Please continue for 10 years.\”

The Mountain Village Workshop was held on May 30-31 in Shimizu, Minamiuonuma, Niigata. Participants planted about 25,000 nameko mushrooms in forest in the foot of Makihata mountain.

The Mountain Village Workshop, following those in last year, was held on May 30-31 in Shimizu, Minamiuonuma, Niigata.

Fourteen people participated, who were from an elementary school kid to middle-aged people in their sixties from Tokyo area.

They worked on nameko mushroom project together with Shimizu Village people, which is a vitalizing project for depopulating Shimizu.

In the first day afternoon and the second day morning, participants planted nameko mushroom in forest in the foot of Makihata mountain.

To reach the site, they had to walk narrow trail in the mountain and cross streams. Village people made holes on timbers and participants put nameko into these holes. They succeeded to plant about 25,000 nameko after five and a half hours work in two-day session.

In the afternoon of 2nd day, village people and participants discussed measures of vitalization of Shimizu and nameko production. Participants commented, \”I will try to create a new menu for nameko dishes.\” \”Such food is valuable as we are able to know who produces and where and how. \” \”Not only the nature, but also people in the village are attractive.\” \”I got refreshed enough to get back to my work from Monday.\” Both village people and participants enjoyed this activity.

This workshop was hosted by Shimizu district and organized by ECOPLUS.

From March 27 to 29, ecoplus organized a snow camp in Shimizu, Minamiuonuma, Niigata. Fifteen children between 4th and 8th grade, from Minamiuonuma, Osaka, Gifu, Aichi and Kanagawa, participated.
From March 27 to 29, ecoplus organized a snow camp in Shimizu, Minamiuonuma, Niigata. Fifteen children between 4th and 8th grade, from Minamiuonuma, Osaka, Gifu, Aichi and Kanagawa, participated.

Children set up tents on a few meters of snow, made chairs and toilets by themselves and drank water from melted snow.

Each team of 7-8 children created team goals, decided each of their roles and challenged themselves to live by their own decisions and led by a team leader. They learned from the experiences of making fire and helping each other.

They enjoyed sledding on the 2nd day. The mountain became a big sled hill covered in 3 meters of snow. They slid down the hill on plastic sheets. It was a dynamic way to play and feel the mountain and snow.

One of the boys asked, “Will Tokyo be flooded if all of the snow melts?” when eating lunch at the top of the mountain. Through his experience, he realized that snow is water and people drink the water going through the mountain.

People from Shimizu and the hunter’s association helped to tell the story of nature and history and guided children in the mountain. They also taught them how to make traditional snow shoes.

Comments by participants:

– I learned how to find what to do.
– There is hard snow and soft snow.
– Snow can be used for anything such as drinking water, chairs, and play.

Seven organizations from Hokkaido to Okinawa and community residents, close to 50 participate　　　July 24-25
In addition to six founding member organizations, groups and individuals from Tokyo, Gunma and Niigata participated in the first ”Energetic Rural Area Network National Convention.” All participants are active in the vitalization of small regional villages.

Additionally, Mr. Sasaki, who manages the Kurikoma Kougen Nature School in a region that was severely damaged by the Iwate-Miyagi Inland Earthquake, participated as a special guest; he reported on how community members came together in the aftermath of the quake.

After taking a stroll in Tochikubo Village, participants introduced their activities to one another. Several examples from regions all over Japan in which locals work together with young people from outside the community for community vitalization were shared. Following dinner, Mr. Nakagawa, a veteran organic farmer from Yamagata Prefecture introduced examples of communities developing by attracting young people from outside the community that want to do organic farming.

Mr. Kobayashi from Kumamoto Prefecture spoke of the significance of the network. ”As birthrates decline and a the aging population grows, the Energetic Rural Area Network will become important. In one sense, rural areas are at the forefront of these trends. I believe that sharing information at this convention will become of precious value.”

The second national convention is planned to be held next year in Kumamoto Prefecture.