2017/01/03

On the other day I attended a commencement ceremony of the business school that I went. The school is in Tokyo and supports social entrepreneurs. Students were diverse in sex, age and what they do for living. My time in the school (it’s been long time since I was out of school) was full of excitement and fun. When I look back the time of learning, I think social entrepreneur creates business of happiness. The experience enabled me to have clear picture in my mind of what I am going to do for...

2017/01/03

What are the environmental characteristics of Satoyama land? Rice paddies, vegetable fields, forest and river, wild boars and deer…it is difficult to make succinct explanation. I cannot make academic analysis but I would like to try to explain the terrain profile of Satoyama using a map today. Red circle is where our Kominka old house is located. It is in the hills of Mineoka Mountains in Southern Boso area, Chiba Pref. Dark green shows forest, white line shows road, what looks like a dot is...

2017/01/03

I began visiting neighbors just to chat, to befriend with and learn various knowledge that would help living in Satoyama, as I mentioned in my previous blog “Happiness Experiment.” As a start, I visited an Ojiisan (grandpa or old man) who lives in the same area. He welcomed us with warm smile in spite of our sudden visit. We sat down at Horigotatsu (small table with a heater. We sit on the floor for such table but this one has a pit circling the table so that we don’t have to fold our...

2017/01/03

An hour drive from my house in the morning got us to the land in the middle of a mountain, past beautiful rice fields in country side.

2017/01/03

I pretty much mowed weeds where necessary so I cut a Japanese cedar today. It was actually the first time to do it in my own Satoyama land. I was tensed up a bit this morning, so I took a walk in the forest and told the goddess of tree and mountain secretly. I can’t tell you the details, but I thanked them for the past and the future, and told them that I will not waste, and use every tiny bit of the lives that I will take. The importance of facing the nature and communicate with it is always...

2017/01/01

I learned the fun of making in Canada. Log house is a house where logger builds and lives while (s)he works in the mountain. They are not carpenters so anyone can build a log house if (s)he learns the technique. Days in Canada were very simple. Cut the trees and make a house out of them in the forest. Not only the knowledge and the technique of building a log house but I learned to enjoy the whole process of learning about trees and making a log house in the nature with log house school mates....

2017/01/01

It’s been nearly 10 months since I began working in our own field. The work is not even half way through, but the land is getting better and better day by day. Unlike before, gentle breeze would be touching my body through the land, sunshine would light my head through the forest and I feel the forest is regaining its original color again. I took part in it working in the field. Surrounded by 100-year-old or 200-year-old trees and feeling the sun shining through, I feel something well up...

2017/01/01

To the village of our land, you would pass beautiful rice terrace by a path from local main road.

2017/01/01

My hope for living in the nature “Satoyama” resides in my heart started many years ago. I had many chances to talk with people inside/outside the country who support themselves with their own farm and minimum level of expense. They were strong, tough and happy enjoying life. I started to long for that kind of living. Opportunity arose and I started to work in the forest. That experience taught me forest conservation firsthand. Naturally and gradually I started to think “maybe I can start...