On the weekend of May 25 and 26, 2024, an Ecoplus Weekend Farming Workshop, “ABC in a Rice Paddy,” was held in Minamiuonuma City, Niigata Prefecture. Nineteen people from the Tokyo metropolitan area, Yamagata and Nagano prefectures participated, ranging from families with elementary school children to university students, young professionals, and senior citizens. Local farmers also supported the event. Under a blue sky, the participants enjoyed farming in chemical-free rice paddies while admiring the dazzling fresh green of Uonuma’s nature.
On the first day, we climbed to the 700-meter-high mountain pass commonly called “Kannon-sama” overlooking the Uonuma Basin to get an overall view of the Uonuma Basin. The mountains on the border of Gunma and Fukushima prefectures were clearly visible in the distance. A number of rare species of butterflies called “Gifucyo” danced around us. On the way back from the pass, we walked along the “old road” that UESUGI Kenshin took when he marched in the Kanto region. We actually walked through the terrain where the land had been hollowed out by the soldiers and horses, and we were reminded of the scene nearly 500 years ago.
The second day, we worked in the rice paddies. In one corner of the rice field were four seedbeds the size of one tatami mat. There, seedlings about 10 centimeters tall were growing in tight rows. Nowadays, seedlings are usually grown in greenhouses with warm conditions, and open-air “water seedbeds” have almost disappeared.
We took on the challenge of removing seedlings from this water nursery, a task that was commonplace until about 50 years ago. Bending over at the waist with both hands outstretched, we scooped out the seedlings as if we were scooping up the soil. The wild millet seedlings were growing in the seedbeds, so we had to identify and remove the millet seedlings. Both were so similar. The participants were challenged to identify the differences.
In the rice field where the rice was to be planted, a hexagonal wooden frame is rolled out to make a mark, and the seedlings are planted on the marks. The work of taking the seedlings, carrying them, and planting them unfolded fluidly as we all found ourselves sharing the work.
In about three hours, we finished the planting of about 150 square meters of rice. The participants then enjoyed a lunch of onigiri (rice balls) at the edge of the rice paddy. Participants left comments such as, “The feeling of putting my hands and feet in the mud made me wonder why I felt so happy,” and “I now understand how rice is grown.
This program started in 1992, but was cancelled in 2000 due to the COVID-19, and this time we were finally able to conduct the program after 4 years. Since it had been a long time since this program was held, the number of participants and the schedule were kept low. One of the expected participants fell ill on the morning of our departure, so we ended up with a total of five participants (four university students and one high school student) who stayed on the island for seven days.
We stayed in the village of Aff, located in the Tamil community of Yap Island. The village has well-preserved traditions, such as well-maintained stone paths.
Our base of operations was the village meeting hall. It is a one-story building made of new concrete. We began by building a cooking hut and shower house in the back.
The first three days were a time of learning about the wisdom and skills of the local way of life. We made mats for sleeping on the floor by weaving them from large coconut palm fronds. We also learned how to husk a young coconut and drink the juice inside. Coconut milk for cooking is made by grinding and squeezing the copra from old coconuts left on the ground for some time. The fibrous outer part of the coconut is dried and used as a fuel. The participants were amazed at the traditional wisdom of using nature without waste and transforming it into food and tools.
In the middle part of the program, we were given the opportunity to stay with a host family for two days and one night, with each of participant visiting a different family and spending time with them as a family.
They cooked together and played with the children at each home, and were fully accepted into the local lifestyle.
When they returned in the evening of the second day, they had wreaths ont thier heads and were filled with souvenirs, including handmade bags and dinner baskets overflowing with fish, taro, and other delicacies. They returned home with their host families, laughing happily together.
The last days of our stay were busy with activities at sea, participation in local community work, and a farewell party, leaving no time to catch our breath.
The lagoon was not very clear at the shore due to nutrients from mangrove forests and other sources, but once you get closer to the reef, you can see clearly into the shining world. We also joined a local conservation organization, the Tamil Rescue Conservation Trust (TRCT), as they worked to clean algae and mud from the giant clams, which are caged and protected from predators.
The island of Yap has been experiencing a drought since December 2023, with almost no rainfall, and precipitation from January to March is 1/20th of a normal year.
For this reason, the villagers of Aff began digging an old well in an effort to revive a well that had been abandoned for decades in order to secure water for daily use. We were allowed to participate in this community work and dug a hole as deep as our waists. The sticky soil in the valley line stuck to the shovel and made digging difficult to dig, but after about two hours of taking turns with the locals, we were able to dig down to almost shoulder deep.
We were able to see firsthand the effects of global climate change and how residents are working together to respond.
There are two flights per week between Yap and Guam. Both flights operate from midnight to dawn, so we arrived on Sunday morning around 1:00 a.m. and left the island before dawn the following Sunday, a full week’s stay. Although they would have been on the island for some more days, the participants were still amazed at the wisdom and skill of using one thing in many ways, and they also noticed the abundance of learning in the daily life of the island.
We have been informed by another village in the same Tamil community that they can host our group next time. We are looking at the situation and considering the next schedule as the water supply has already started on time due to the water shortage, and also the summer heat is more intense than before.
